IND vs ENG: ‘She will be the happiest,’ Akash Deep dedicates Edgbaston win to elder sister diagnosed with cancer

Indian seamer Akash Deep picked up ten wickets in the second Test against England at Edgbaston, helping his team win the tie and break its seven-match losing streak at this venue. His performance was crucial for India to level the five-match series 1-1; however, after the game that ended late on day five, the ace quick dedicated his star-studded performance to his elder sister, whom he revealed was diagnosed with cancer two months ago. Having suffered life’s adversities on his way to playing for India and creating history in the UK, Akash Deep got emotional talking about his sister, saying, ‘She will be the happiest.’

"I have not told this to anyone. My elder sister has been suffering with cancer for the last two months. She is now stable, she is fine. I think she will be the happiest (seeing my performance). I want to dedicate this match to her. I wanted to see a smile on her face," Akash Deep said after the end of the second Test in Birmingham.

"This is for you. Whenever I held the ball in my hand, your face was in my mind. I want to see happiness in your face. We are all with you," he continued.

The right-arm pacer returned with four wickets in the first innings, but kept his best for the next one, picking up six wickets in the second, including removing all the star batters. Brought in place for Jasprit Bumrah, whom the management rested as part of his workload, Akash Deep was quick in making inroads on a flat Birmingham track.

Although Indian batters made merry in the second Test, with the captain Shubman Gill hogging all the limelight with his 430 runs across two innings, Akash Deep’s performance stood out for the visitors.

"We have played on such wickets a lot in India. We had the same plan; I wanted to hit the right areas. What's happening off the pitch is not in my control. I wanted to put in a bit more effort when it comes to hitting the seam on the pitch. And when it lands on the right areas, I get movement," Akash Deep said of his performance.

While he was the star bowler for India in this game, his fellow seamer, Mohammed Siraj, also shut the doubters with his seven-wicket haul in the second Test. Siraj picked up six wickets in the first innings, adding more to his tally in the next.

Team India’s next Test match is at the Lord’s in London, starting Thursday (Jul 10).