Pacer Akash Deep impressed the selectors with his four-wicket haul in India A’s ongoing game against India B in the Duleep Trophy 2024. The pacer, who made his India debut against England earlier in February, stands a good chance of being named in the squad for India’s upcoming Test season.
Apart from his performance, the uncertainity over the availabilty of Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami provides an additional opporutnity for Akash to secure his spot in the side, at least for IND vs BAN series if not the entire Test season.
Akash Deep impresses selectors ahead of PAK vs BAN
Akash Deep managed to trap big names in the 1st innings against India B. He dismissed stars including the likes of the swashbuckling Rishabh Pant and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. He finished the 1st innings with a spell of 60/4 from 27 overs, emerging as the leading wicket-taker for the side in the innings.
Despite tasting success on Day 1 by getting rid of Pant and Reddy, Akash Deep was forced to wait for the next two scalps as Musheer Khan and Navdeep Saini continued to frustrate the bowlers. The pacer then got rid of Saini just after lunch and soon wrrapped up India B’s innings with one final scalp to get rid of Yash Dayal.
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What are Akash Deep’s chances of being named in Test squad?
The way things stand currently, India will be looking to pick young pacers in the squad for the upcoming series against Bangladesh. Jasprit Bumrah has been given an extended break and is unlikely to feature in Tests until IND vs NZ or the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Mohammed Shami is on the final leg of his recovery from injury and hence is ruled out for IND vs BAN series. Siraj, on the other hand, is a concern for the team, given his poor form recently and him pulling out of Duleep Trophy owing to an illness.
This gives the right opportunity for Akash Deep to earn his spot in India’s Test squad. The series against England was a proof that India is willing to experiment with young talents, with multiple players making their debut for India. While Akash Deep is also one amongst those stars, he will be eyeing to regain his spot in the side for the upcoming home series. But he’s not alone in the race. He will be competing with the likes of Mukesh Kumar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Navdeep Saini and more in his race to cement a spot in India’s Test squad.
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