Akash Deep played in three of the five Test matches on India’s tour of England. He picked a match haul of 10 wickets in the Birmingham Test. Akash opened up on the reason to skip the Duleep Trophy after the long England tour.
Akash Deep had to miss the Duleep Trophy to recover from the impact injury he sustained during the final Test against England at The Oval. After a demanding tour in England, during which he scalped a match haul of 10 wickets at Edgbaston, the Bengal pacer admitted his body needed time to heal.
With the injury now behind him, Akash will resume net sessions from Sunday as he builds towards the upcoming Test series against the West Indies, where he is expected to be an automatic selection if fully fit.
“There was no major injury, just an impact. Iโll start bowling from tomorrow, and Iโm feeling good. Iโve been playing continuously for six months, so the body needed some rest,” he said on the sidelines of the Cricket Association of Bengalโs annual awards ceremony, where he was felicitated by former India captain Sourav Ganguly.
Reflecting on the challenges of overseas tours, he added, “When you go to England or Australia, itโs tough to play five matches. You need to be mentally and physically stronger.”
In three Tests against England, Akash bowled 109.1 overs, claimed 13 wickets – including a match-winning 10-for in Birmingham – and contributed a valuable 66 runs at The Oval.
On workload management, he chose his words carefully, “Itโs not in my hands. The team staff and physios handle these things. They have a process, and we follow it.” Asked about Jasprit Bumrah being restricted to three Tests in the England series, he responded: “Itโs a team game. We donโt think about whoโs playing or not. Whoever gets the chance focuses on winning.”
Despite his batting heroics, Akash remains clear about his role. “If the team needs my batting, I will bat. My dream is to keep improving and play across formats. But as a bowler, my priority is always to win matches with the ball. The 66 at The Oval was important, but bowling will always come first.”
Recalling his 10-wicket haul, the pacer said it was a mix of discipline and fortune. “I never planned on taking 10 wickets. I just focused on bowling in the right areas. Some days you get results, some days you donโt. That day was mine. But more importantly, the team won, and thatโs the bigger achievement.”