Bengal pacer Akash Deep has big boots to fill as he was called into the Indian team as the replacement for Jasprit Bumrah for the fourth Test against England, starting in Ranchi on Friday.
Deep was picked ahead of Bengal team-mate Mukesh Kumar after his impressive performances for India 'A' against England Lions, when he took 13 wickets in three games and for his consistent performances for Bengal in domestic cricket.
Overall, he has taken 104 wickets in 30 first class games at an an average of 23.
The fast bowler got his India Test cap from his legendary head coach Rahul Dravid with his family in attendance.
It has been a fruitful seven-year journey for the 27 year old from being the star tennis ball all-rounder in Durgapur to playing first division in Kolkata, followed by Under-23, first class cricket and an IPL contract with Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he impressed the likes of Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell among others.
When he took up cricket, his life suffered twin tragedies. His father Ramji Singh, a government school teacher, passed away and within six months he lost his elder brother, who had two young school going daughters.
He had no choice but to move back home, Sasaram in Bihar, where he recalls 'playing cricket was a crime'.
'Lot of parents would warn their children that don't mingle with Akash as he only plays cricket and your studies would go for toss,' recalls the pacer.
With the help of a friend, he got a chance to play for a club in West Bengal's Durgapur but the money he earned came from playing tennis ball cricket.
'I would play proper leather ball matches for my club but initially there was no money. So there would be three to four days a month, I would play tennis ball matches around district and earned Rs 6,000 per day.
'So I would earn 20,000 per month, which helped me run my expenses,' said Deep, who was self-taught till he made the Bengal Under-23 cut.
'I never had any fixed coach. Saurasish Lahiri (current Bengal assistant coach), Arun Lal sir, Rano sir (Ranadeb Bose), all have helped me from time to time, and whatever I could learn, I have learnt,' he said.
'Inswing is my stock delivery but at this level, you need to have outswing and reverse swing and more importantly need to control the swing.'
'I was in the (India) ODI squad in South Africa and realised more than skill, at this level, it is more about mental strength of being able to execute plans under pressure,' he said.
Akash Deep is the fourth debutant for India in this series after Rajat Patidar, Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan.
