Akashdeep Opens Up About His Mindset While Batting Against England, Says ‘I Promised Myself…’ News24 –

The Indian team presented a performance to remember in their tour of England, tying the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at 2-2 in a thrilling series. In the last Test at the Oval, England looked to be heading towards a 3-1 series victory when Joe Root and Harry Brook were leading a hopeful chase of 374. But Mohammed Siraj had other plans. The pacer changed the game with a five-wicket haul, leading India to a nail-biting six-run win in front of a full-house Oval audience.

Although Siraj rightfully grabbed the limelight for his heroics, Akash Deep’s contribution was equally crucial. He was initially viewed as a bowling option, but impressed one and all with his temperament and grit with the bat. Batting as a nightwatchman late on Day 3, Akash not only weathered the trial period but also came back on Day 4 to register his first Test half-century. He scored a useful 66 off 94 balls, studded with 12 fours.

As he achieved the milestone, a visibly overjoyed Shubman Gill and mentor Gautam Gambhir were also spotted clapping from the dressing room. Ravindra Jadeja also wanted Akash to remove his helmet and accept the crowd’s admiration for his performance.

Entering Day 5, India required four more wickets, while England needed only 35 runs, with a close fight on the horizon. England got off to a flying start with two boundaries, lowering the target to as little as 27. Yet again, however, Siraj came good, taking three of the last four wickets and ensuring a thrilling victory for the tourists.

Speaking to Aaj Tak, Akashdeep opened up about the India vs England series and his batting as he scored crucial runs for the team.

“I never play my cricket based on hope. I promised myself at night that I would not get out. I made this commitment. I decided not to play a rash shot.”

“If a good ball got me out, there was no issue with that, as these things can happen in cricket. If I didn’t score any runs, I was fine with it. My aim was just to stay at the crease. I had this motivation, and this made batting easier,” he added.

“It was an important match. We were trailing 1-2 in the series. We had played well in the series but we were behind. The wicket seemed flat in the Oval Test but later, the pitch started doing something,” said Akash Deep.

“The crowd was behind us, it was then that we had the belief of pulling off a win. We were talking that England would lose wickets in a heap and this is what exactly happened,” he added.