Last Updated:
Akash Deep struck 31 off 44 while batting from no. 11 to help India avoid the follow-on during the third Test in Brisbane.
Aakash Deep is currently awaiting NCA nod to resume bowling. (AFP Photo)
The Australia tour was Akash Deep’s first international tour as an India cricketer, and he returned home with memories of a lifetime and a cherished gift from certain Virat Kohli which he put to good use. The right-arm pacer played in two Tests and took five wickets in them. However, his most impactful effort came with the bat as he scored an entertaining 31 off 44 while coming in to bat at no. 11 to help India avoid the follow-on in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which ended in a draw.
Akash struck two fours and a six off Australia captain Pat Cummins which delighted the Indian dressing room.
Akash scored those valuable runs with Kohli’s bat which the Indian batting start himself gifted the rookie bowler.
“Yes, that was Virat bhaiya’s bat, the one with MRF logo, everyone knows,” Akash Deep told news agency PTI.
“Bhaiyya (Kohli) ne khud mujhse pucha ‘Tumko bat chahiye?’ (Virat himself asked me, ‘do you need a bat?’).”
“Maine bola ‘Haan bhaiyya, aapka bat kaun nahi lena chahega duniya mein?’ Then he presented it to me (I replied who in the world wouldn’t want your bat?),” he added.
The 28-year-old said he couldn’t bring himself to ask for Kohli’s bat even though he’s known the former India captain for some time having played together in IPL as well.
“I have been there with bhaiyya (Kohli) for some time now (they are teammates in Royal Challengers Bengaluru). But you always have that thing at the back of your mind, whether it is the right thing to ask for a bat from someone of Virat bhaiyya’s stature,” Akash Deep said.
“Especially during match time, when he is focussed and in his zone, you don’t want to disturb him but bhaiyya, on his own, gave me the bat,” he added.
Together with Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep added 47 runs for the 10th wicket as India avoided the follow-on in the drawn Brisbane Test.
“That day, my mindset was that I was ready to get hit and take any number of body blows but won’t get out. I needed to score runs…I had to bat as long as possible. It wasn’t as if (saving) follow-on was on my mind,” Akash Deep said.
“In my mind, I knew the longer I would bat, our batters would have to bat for reduced amount of time in the second essay. That particular day, I was watching the ball well,” he added.
The reaction of his India teammates and especially the fans is something that the pacer will remember forever.
“…I would remember it forever. I didn’t envisage that just because of that batting effort, how many millions felt relieved and happy that day. That evening, I got to know from social media how happy people were. The dressing room was obviously happy,” he said.
