India handed 4th Test debut in as many matches. And out of the four, three are already instant hits. But what makes it special is the legends handing debut caps with family present. Following the Australian style, those legends offer motivational speeches. That has become a norm during Rohit Sharma’s captaincy era. On Friday before the IND vs ENG Ranchi Test, India head coach Rahul Dravid gave one such beautiful motivational speech. And an inspired Akash Deep rattled the England batting line-up with three wickets in the first session.
Who is Akash Deep?
The pacer who hails from Bihar’s Sasaram went against father’s advice. With hardly any help from the family to become a cricketer, he left home and went looking to become a bowler in West Bengal.
His cricketing journey in Bengal began in Durgapur and then it blossomed. He made his Ranji trophy debut in in 2019. And three years later, Royal Challengers Bangalore gave him an IPL contract.
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That’s when he began to flourish. On Friday, with his family present, he fulfilled his dream. Had it not been for his grit and determination, Akash Deep would have ended up appearing in state government examinations.
“I was hopeful that in the near future I might get a Test call-up if I keep performing but I didn’t expect that it would come by the third match itself,” Akash Deep told PTI.