'He is a highly skilled bowler — and he’s at you all the time'
'It’s not just the cracks in the pitch that helped him. He’s a wonderful bowler'
Akash Deep announced himself on the biggest stage with a career-defining performance, as India stormed to a historic 336-run win at Edgbaston to level the series 1-1.
His fiery spell dismantled England's middle order and earned him a maiden 10-wicket haul in Test cricket, drawing praise from all quarters — including former England captain Nasser Hussain.
It marked India’s first-ever Test victory at the venue, and Akash Deep was at the heart of it — his relentless precision making survival England’s only realistic goal on the final day.
The young quick ripped through England’s middle order with a career-best 6 for 99 in the second innings, adding to his 4 for 88 in the first, to finish with 10 wickets in the match — a phenomenal performance on a surface that had started to flatten out.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain was full of praise for the Bengal pacer on Sky Sports.
“He is a highly skilled bowler — and he’s at you all the time,” Hussain said. “It’s not just the cracks in the pitch that helped him. He’s a wonderful bowler.”
Hussain highlighted how Akash Deep’s fiery morning burst, where he dismissed Ollie Pope and Harry Brook, left England in tatters early on Day 5.
The former skipper also reserved praise for Shubman Gill's captaincy, particularly for introducing off-spinner Washington Sundar at a crucial moment — a move that paid off immediately as he trapped Ben Stokes lbw, just as the England captain was settling in.
“England had done a lot of the hard work,” Hussain noted. “Stokes, who hasn’t had much time in the middle, was just starting to find his rhythm and the ball had softened. It was a smart decision from Gill to bring on Washington, and the ball just flicked the front pad.”
Hussain lauded Gill’s growing tactical acumen, saying, “Gill got most things spot-on that session — even made choices many of us wouldn’t have, like the end from which Akash Deep bowled. He’s reading the game really well.”
With the series now level at 1-1 and momentum swinging in India’s favour, Akash Deep’s arrival on the Test stage and Gill’s sharp leadership have given India both a new spearhead and a calm thinker at the helm.
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