Irfan Pathan, the former India all-rounder, has spoken highly of Akash Deep for his remarkable performance in the second Test against England. The pacer took two wickets on day two and added two more on day three.
Irfan applauded Akash Deep for his expertise with the new ball, highlighting his important breakthroughs in the early stages of the game. He managed to dismiss Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope in back-to-back deliveries.

After England’s huge 303-run partnership for the sixth wicket, the 28-year-old bowler sent Harry Brook, who was on 158, back to the pavilion with a ball that swung back from outside off, beating him on the inside edge and crashing into the off-stump. Irfan Pathan referred to it as the ball of the match so far.

“Akash Deep is the kind of bowler who excels with the new ball. Throughout his career, he has taken 50% of his wickets through LBW and bowled. The wicket of Harry Brook, for me, was the ball of the match so far. I’ve rarely seen such significant movement on a flat pitch like this. Brook was well set and likely aiming for a score above 200. Dismissing a batter like that on a pitch with little assistance speaks volumes about his skill. The wicket looked as if it came from a seaming pitch, but in reality, this one was flat with runs to be had. His dismissal of Ben Duckett was equally impressive,” he remarked on his YouTube channel. (2:31)

“England’s 300-run partnership is a clear reminder to India that taking wickets with the new ball is essential. If they fail to do so, it will be challenging,” he noted. (4:04)

India currently leads by 321 runs on Day 4. KL Rahul was dismissed after scoring 55. England’s Josh Tongue took 2 wickets, leaving India at 142/3.