The 28-year-old India National Cricket Team pacer Akash Deep took his team off to a great start in the second Test against the England National Cricket Team.
Akash Deep picked up back-to-back wickets in his second over of the match to stun England at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Thursday, July 3.
Akash Deep Rocks England with Consecutive Strikes
The Bengal paceman Akash Deep came in as a replacement for the premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the playing XI because the Indian team management decided to rest the latter to manage his workload.
Akash Deep’s selection in the team invited some criticism because fans and experts felt that the left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh should have replaced Jasprit Bumrah in the team.
However, the Bengal pacer made sure to shut down the critics by delivering a Jasprit Bumrah-esque performance with the new ball. Akash opened the bowling for India and leaked 12 runs in the first over.
He significantly improved his lines and lengths in his second over and was instantly rewarded for it with the wickets of centurions of the first Test – Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope.
On the fourth ball of the third over, Akash bowled a length delivery outside off-stump to Ben Duckett, who got a thick outside-edge. The ball flew towards Shubman Gill at slips, and the Indian skipper took an excellent catch with both hands.
On the very next ball, Akash Deep bowled a full and angled in delivery to Ollie Pope on off-stump, and the England batter got a thick leading-edge. The ball flew towards KL Rahul at second slip, and the Indian player took the catch on the second attempt to dismiss Pope for a duck.
Also Read: Watch: Rishabh Pant, India coach celebrate as Shubman Gill misses out on 300 at Edgbaston
Watch: Akash Deep stuns England with back-to-back wickets as Shubman Gill, KL Rahul take stunners
WHAT A SPELL BY AKASH DEEP 🥶🔥 pic.twitter.com/DPTiuFUaFT
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 3, 2025
— Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) July 3, 2025
— Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) July 3, 2025
Akash Deep fails to take a hat-trick
“No Indian bowler has taken a hat-trick against England. Is that about to change?” Ian Ward said on Sky Sports.
The right-arm quick had a good opportunity to take a hat-trick, but he failed to bag it. On the last ball of the over, he bowled a full delivery to Joe Root outside off-stump and the England legend dug it out to cover to deny the pacer a hat-trick.
Meanwhile, the former India head coach Ravi Shastri lauded Gill for taking a stunner in the slips. He stated:
“He cannot put a foot wrong, Shubman Gill. That is an absolute stunner. It came off the outside edge, quick, and he clutched it safely.”
Although Akash didn’t bag a hat-trick, England lost their third wicket in the 8th over as Zak Crawley was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj. “England’s brain is just a bit frazzled by nearly two days in the field. Brook is in already!” Nasser Hussain said on Sky Sports after England were reduced to 3-25.
