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Star pacer Akash Deep ran riot with the bowl in the second Test between India and England at Edgbaston. After making immediate impact in the first innings, claiming four wickets, Akash Deep disrupted England's batting line-up in the second essay as well.
After dismissing Ben Duckett early in England's chase, he delivered an exceptional ball in the eleventh over to remove the experienced Joe Root on Day 4. With Mohammed Siraj having already dismissed Zak Crawley, England concluded the day's play at 72/3 while chasing a target of 608 runs.
Stuart Broad explains what makes Akash Deep so lethal
He returned back to haunt England batters again on Day 5 and took the prized wickets of Ollie Pope and Harry Brook to leave England reeling at 83/5 as of 21.3 overs.
Talking specifically about Root's dismissal, the right-arm fast bowler skillfully created an angle as he approached the crease before releasing the delivery. He directed the ball inwards towards the right-handed Root, but it then nipped away slightly, completely deceiving the batter and striking the top of his off-stump.
Meanwhile, former England pace bowler Stuart Broad was highly impressed with Akash's performance. He analysed the effectiveness of his bowling at Edgbaston, drawing a comparison with the performance of the English seam bowlers on what he described as a lifeless pitch during the second Test.
"He brings the stumps into play, nips the ball - even with the second new ball with Harry Brook (in the first innings) - through the gate and off stump out of the ground. He's a real threat and, you know, India have to use him wisely again on the final day. He's bowled wicket-taking balls tonight. Start with him tomorrow while the ball's hard and while the ball's still got a bit of newness to it, and then maybe if he needs a rest until the next new ball comes, that's fine," Broad told Sky Sports.
While discussing Root's dismissal, Broad specifically highlighted the skillful utilisation of the bowling crease by Akash. Broad emphasised how this tactical use of the crease played a crucial role in Akash Deep successfully dismissing England's leading run-scorer in the history of Test cricket.
"Using the crease. It's crucial. It's a skill and an art that every Test match bowler should have. Every bowler should have it really. I mean, how I used to sort of view it was: a batter will always line up the same to you. If you can change your release position by a couple of inches at a time, they're not necessarily turning their shoulders or their feet position. So that little movement can be that half-bat-width distance that can catch the edge or make them miss it and hit the stump," Broad added.
"You should practise that in the nets, and if you're going to play league cricket this weekend, just practise changing your angles just slightly at the back end of your run. Just go a foot wider but still imagine you're running in at off stump and just work with that, because if there's no swing in the air, you suddenly get a different angle that you can work with," he concluded.
England's top order badly faltered while chasing a monumental target of 608. After the Day 5 action kicked off following a rain delay, Akash took no time to send the marching orders to Ollie Pope (24) and Harry Brook (23).
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