Bangladesh Test-bound Akash Deep credits Mohammed Shami for Duleep Trophy first-round success

Akash Deep picked nine wickets across two innings for India A against India B during their first-round Duleep Trophy match recently. Upon being approached about how he made the ball talk, the right-arm seamer credited constructive conversations with Mohammad Shami for this magic.

Though Shami remained out of contention for the Bangladesh series as he continues to recover from the ankle injury, the BCCI named Akash Deep in the squad for the first Test starting September 19 in Chennai.

The frontline seamer debuted during the England Tests in January earlier this year, impressing everyone with his tight line and length. Following the series, Akash Deep played just one IPL game and has been training at the NCA since, bowling longer spells and preparing for the marathon season.

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As India is scheduled to play ten Tests till January next year, including two against Bangladesh and three against New Zealand, both at home and five against Australia Down Under, Akash Deep remains part of the core bowling group.

"My last proper match was my Test debut in March," Akash Deep said after Duleep Trophy’s first-round game.

"In the IPL, I played just one game. As a fast bowler, it's difficult to come back [after such a long stretch]. I was at the NCA for a month, I played a lot of practice games keeping in mind the kind of situations we will face in a real match so that the muscle memory is used to the rigours of a first-class match,” he continued.

Akash shines in Duleep Trophy and Shami’s advice

Of the nine wickets he picked, the two that stood out for him were the one to dismiss Nitish Reddy and another one accounting for Washington Sundar, both clean bowled.
The two dismissals were alike, with the ball making the right noises by seaming off the pitch.

Like how Shami trapped England great Ben Stokes during the ODI World Cup last year by first continue bowling him one line and then picking his wicket with the one that straightens off the pitch, Akash did the same with Sundar, to whom he has bowled plenty in the nets.

"I had been bowling a lot to him [Washington] from around the wicket in the nets. He has been batting a lot against me and had got used to it. So I wanted to do something that I hadn't done against him before," Akash Deep noted.

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Meanwhile, Akash Deep explains how speaking to Shami helped him deliver peaches against Reddy and Sundar.

"When you bowl to a left-hander from around the wicket, the ball moves naturally towards the shine," Akash explained.

"I spoke to him [Shami] about how to get the ball to come back in [with the angle]. I have seen him do that.

"He advised me not to focus too much on bringing it in. He said it will automatically come over time, and, when it does, it will become a wicket-taking ball. Because if it keeps going out and, then, you are able to bring it back in with the shine, it's tough for batsmen.But he has cautioned me against trying it a lot. But as a bowler, if you're able to do it, then batters will have a tendency to chase balls away as well,” the India seamer added.

(With inputs from agencies)