 "India's Akash Deep celebrates with teammates after dismissing Bangladesh opener Zakir Hasan on Day 2 of the first Test in Chennai. AP")
Bengal pacer Akash Deep had got his international career off to an impressive start during the Test series against England earlier this year, collecting 3/83 on India debut in Ranchi.
And in just his second Test appearance, against Bangladesh in Chennai, Akash justified the team management’s decision to play him as the third seamer with a two-wicket burst on Friday.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pacer was introduced in the seventh over after Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah opened the bowling for the hosts, and made an instant impression by striking twice in as many deliveries in just his second over.
Akash struck at the start of his second over, the final over of the session, by breaching Zakir Hasan’s defence and flattening his middle stump, the left-handed opening batter departing for 3.
Mominul Haque would depart in the very next delivery for a golden duck, with the ball sneaking through his defence and getting a deflection off the back pad before crashing into the off pole.
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The ball that Akash received at the start of his spell was fairly new and he made good use of it to reduce Bangladesh to 22/3 inside nine overs.
Senior batter Mushfiqur Rahim faced the remaining deliveries of Akash’s second over, collecting a boundary in the third ball that he faced as Bangladesh went to lunch on 26/3.
Akash would bowl three more overs in the remainder of the innings, all of them in the second session as India bundled Bangladesh out for a meagre 149 to collect a massive 227-run first innings lead.
Bumrah led the way with a haul of 4/50, becoming only the 10th Indian to collect 400 or more wickets in the process. Besides Akash, Siraj (2/30) and left-arm finger spinner Ravindra Jadeja (2/19) collected a couple of wickets as well.