 "'It's tough to play five matches': Akash Deep reflects on physically and mentally draining Australia and England tours")
Akash Deep had to skip the Duleep Trophy due to the impact injury that he suffered during the final Test against England at The Oval and the battered body needed healing after the gruelling tour in which his match-winning 10-wicket haul at Edgbaston stood out.
Now that the injury has healed, the Bengal speedster will be starting his net sessions from Sunday, with an aim to get into the groove before the Test series against the West Indies, for which he would be an automatic pick if fully fit.
“There was no injury, just an impact. I will start bowling from tomorrow. I’m feeling good. I have been playing constantly for six months so the body needed a bit of rest,” Akash Deep told reporters on the sidelines of Cricket Association of Bengal’s annual awards function where he was felicitated by former India skipper Sourav Ganguly.
“When you go to England or Australia, it’s tough to play five matches. You have to be mentally and physically stronger.” Akash Deep bowled an impressive 109.1 overs in three Tests in England and took 13 wickets including a 10-for in Birmingham. With the bat, his 66 at the Oval is worth its weight in gold.
Quizzed on the sensitive topic of workload management, Akash Deep tried to steer clear off making any off-the-cuff remark.
“It’s not in my hands. It depends on the team staff and physios, they manage these things. They follow a process, it’s in their hands.” He also sidestepped when asked for his take on Jasprit Bumrah being allowed to take part in only three of the five Tests on the advice from the strength and conditioning coaches and physios.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“It’s a team game. We are part of a team. We don’t think about who’s playing or not. Whoever gets to play is focused on winning the match.” Although he played a stellar hand with the bat against England in the final Test, he wouldn’t still fancy the all-rounder tag.
“If the team needs my batting, I will bat. My dream is to bring my best version and improve myself so that I can play across formats. But I’m not a selector.
“The 66 I scored in the second innings at The Oval was also important, but as a bowler I would always like to win the match with my bowling,” he made his priorities clear.
A 10-wicket haul is something one can’t plan but hard work and a slice of luck helped the man, who hails from Bihar’s Sasaram.
“I never thought of taking 10 wickets when I was picked. I just had to bowl in my areas and stick to my discipline. Some days you get results, some days you don’t. That day it was mine.
“But the bigger thing was that the team won after I took 10 wickets – that was the greater achievement.”
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