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‘England, you can’t even dismiss our No.9': Akash Deep's 66 ‘as good as a batter’s tripe century'
Sanjay Bangar noted the Indian crowd's supportive reaction at The Oval, while Varun Aaron compared Akash Deep's 66 to a triple century.
Akash Deep, the batter, came out of the syllabus for England. When all the talk around was how soon they could get rid of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill in the morning session of Day 3 to make sure India didn't set them a big target in the fifth Test, Akash Deep, the nightwatchman, poured water into their plans by slamming his maiden Test fifty.
The right-arm pacer, who came out bat after India lost Sai Sudharsan right at the fag end of Day 2, got to his maiden Test fifty with a boundary from an inside edge off Gus Atkinson in the 38th over of India's second innings on Saturday.
Akash Deep started his innings with a boundary on Friday and he started Day 3 exactly in the same manner. It took him just two balls to hoick Jacob Bethell for a boundary in the first over of the day's play and since then, there was no looking back.
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Understandably so, Akash Deep celebrated his half-century in grand style. There as fist bump amid fantastic reactions from the Indian dressing room. Head coach Gautam Gambhir had a rare smile on his face while captain Shubman Gill and experienced all-rounder signalled to take the helmet off.
‘You can’t even dismiss our No.9': Akash Deep's fifty hailed
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar said the reaction of the Indian supporters at The Oval narrated a story. "Those smiles says it all and it's not only the smiles from the Dressing Room but even from the crowd because the crowd would be saying to the people who are sitting alongside them, those who are supporting the English team that you can't dismiss our number 9, number 10 and a rare smile from Gautam Gambhir's face as well," Bangar said on commentary.
Former India pacer Varun Aaron said Akash Deep's knock was as good as a batter getting a triple century.
"100%, the Night Watchman has done overtime and he has been paid in the form of a 50. The biggest payday when it comes to Akash Deep in his batting career was a Test 50. This is as big as a batsman scoring a triple hundred. The way Test teams celebrate their tail-enders' 50s is second to none," he said.
Resuming at 75/2, with a modest 52-run lead, India extended their advantage to 166 by lunch, thanks to a gritty and confident 66 off 94 balls by Deep, laced with 12 boundaries. The right-arm pacer, who came in late on Day 3, displayed surprising composure and shot selection, becoming the first Indian nightwatchman since Amit Mishra in 2011—also at The Oval—to score a Test fifty.
Jaiswal (unbeaten at lunch) continued his fine form, complementing Deep with a steady hand, while England faltered in the field, dropping four chances. Deep's innings ended just before lunch, bowled by Gus Atkinson, but not before scripting the 18th century partnership of the series—the most in any Test series since 2000.
