Akash Deep enjoyed a sensational start to his Test career, dismissing all of England’s top three before drinks on the first morning of the fourth India-England Test at Ranchi.
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Called up to the side in place of the rested Jasprit Bumrah, Deep was irresistible with the new ball. He bowled Zak Crawley for four only for the no-ball siren to sound, handing the England opener an early reprieve. Shortly after Crawley took 18 runs off one Mohammed Siraj over, Deep made the first hour emphatically India’s dismissing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope in the space of three deliveries shortly before bowling Crawley for the second time in the session but this time with his front foot landing firmly behind the crease.
It was a remarkable introduction to Test cricket for a player making his first international appearance.
Akash Deep: What’s his story?
Deep, 27, actually only made his first-class debut for Bengal in late 2019 at the age of 22. Prior to his India debut, he had made 30 first-class appearances taking 104 wickets at 23.58. Deep is on RCB’s books in the IPL making seven appearances for the franchise over the past two seasons. He has been retained for the 2024 campaign.
Deep hails from the eastern state of Bihar, a region that did not have a Ranji Trophy side from 2004 to 2018. He suffered two family tragedies in a short of space of time in the mid-2010s, losing both his father and older brother before moving to Delhi and then Kolkata to pursue a career in cricket.
Just as he was on the cusp of breaking into the professional game, Deep suffered another setback – picking up a stress fracture in his back just as he earned his first selection for the Bengal U23s. Following his recovery from injury he broke into the senior Bengal set-up in 2019.
His rise to an India call-up
Deep never looked back once he made his first-class debut, taking 35 wickets at 18 in Bengal’s run to the 2019/20 Ranji Trophy final. Deep had a slightly quieter time of it in 2021/22 – there was no 2020/21 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic – but was once more close to the top of the wicket-taking charts in 2022/23 where Bengal were once more runners up. Deep finished the campaign with 40 wickets at 21 making him the leading wicket-taker in the competition.
A first India A call-up beckoned; Deep made his debut for India’s second string red-ball side against South Africa A in late 2023.
He was retained for the three-match series against England Lions in early 2024 where Deep finished as India’s leading wicket-taker, claiming 11 wickets across his two appearances in the series, finding joy against England’s left-handers in particular. Mohammed Shami’s injury and a difficult outing for Mukesh Kumar – another Bihar-born Bengal seamer – at Vizag meant that Deep found himself in the India squad for the third Test of their series against England. When Jasprit Bumrah was rested for the fourth Test in Ranchi, Deep was handed his Test cap and grabbed hold of a first opportunity in international cricket with both hands.
