India’s long wait for a Test win at Edgbaston ended in emphatic fashion as Shubman Gill’s side crushed England by 336 runs to level the five-match series 1-1. The 608-run target proved far too steep for the hosts, who were bundled out for 271 on the final day. While the batters had laid the foundation with dominant performances across both innings, it was the bowlers, particularly Akash Deep, who provided the decisive blows.
Among his six second-innings wickets, none stood out more than the dismissal of England’s premier batter Joe Root. Delivered from wide of the crease, Akash slanted it in towards off stump, prompting Root to close the face of his bat in anticipation of the angle continuing. But the ball nipped away sharply off the seam, completely squaring him up and crashing into the top of off stump.
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Former India selector Saba Karim was quick to hail the delivery on Sony Sports, stating that it was almost as if the Indian bowler “cheated” Root.
“Akash Deep was talking about feeling cheated by the wicket as it was like an Indian wicket, but here he cheated Joe Root. When you are angling the ball in from wide of the crease, the batter is forced to think that the ball will come in only from that angle,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“Akash Deep was talking about feeling cheated by the wicket as it was like an Indian wicket, but here he cheated Joe Root. When you are angling the ball in from wide of the crease, the batter is forced to think that the ball will come in only from that angle,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“If the ball straightens after pitching, what can the batter do? If you bowl such a ball to a great batter, it was definitely an unplayable delivery. Not only Joe Root, but 99.9 percent of the batters would have played like that towards the onside. Joe Root also tried that, and Akash Deep literally opened up Joe Root,” Saba observed.
Akash Deep's 10-fer
The 27-year-old finished with match figures of 10 for 161; 4 in the first innings and 6 in the second, sealing his maiden ten-wicket haul in just his eighth Test. In a match where Shubman Gill's twin hundreds and India’s batting brilliance earned plaudits, it was Akash Deep’s unrelenting aggression and skill throughout the second innings that delivered the knockout punch.
With Shubman Gill confirming that Jasprit Bumrah will return for the third Test at Lord's, it will be interesting to see who India decide to leave out from the XI that flattened England at Edgbaston.