Akash smashed 66 runs off 94 balls with the help of 12 boundaries at The Oval.
When the Shubman Gill-led Indian side landed in England for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, no one gave them a chance following the retirements of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin. But the team in transition proved everyone wrong as they gave England a run of their money in all five Test matches.
The hard-fought series ended in a 2-2 draw, with India winning the finale at The Oval by a narrow margin of six runs.
The Three Lions were in a dominant position on Day 4 when Harry Brook (111) and Joe Root (105) combined for a 195-run fourth-wicket stand that propelled the hosts past 300. At 301/3, they were favorites but Indian bowlers staged a great fightback, claiming three late wickets to reduce them to 339/6 at stumps.
On the final day, England were 35 runs away from chasing a 374-run target, with four wickets in hand. However, Mohammed Siraj ripped through their lower order, ending the innings at 367.
Siraj’s heroics overshadowed what Akash Deep did with the bat in India’s second innings at The Oval. Coming in as a nightwatchman, Akash smashed 66 runs off 94 balls with the help of 12 boundaries. As soon as he reached his fifty, the captain-coach duo of Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir were seen beaming with joy in the dressing room.
In an interaction with Aaj Tak, Akash reflected on his accomplishment with the bat. “I never play my cricket based on hope. I promised myself at night that I would not get out. I made this commitment. I decided not to play a rash shot,” Akash said.
“If a good ball got me out, there was no issue with that, as these things can happen in cricket. If I didn't score any runs, I was fine with it. My aim was just to stay at the crease. I had this motivation, and this made batting easier,” he added.
Akash Deep also revealed that the Indian players had full belief of securing a win heading into the fifth day’s play at The Oval.
“It was an important match. We were trailing 1-2 in the series. We had played well in the series but we were behind. The wicket seemed flat in the Oval Test but later, the pitch started doing something,” said Akash.
“The crowd was behind us, it was then that we had the belief of pulling off a win. We were talking that England would lose wickets in a heap and this is what exactly happened,” he remarked.