KANPUR: Akash Deep is living his dream. Just two Tests old, the nippy seamer from Bengal is fast coming up the ranks. He fondly remembers his roots in Uttar Pradesh and proudly declares that he is in awe just being at the Green Park Stadium for the second Test match against Bangladesh.
“I have grown up in Varanasi, which is not far from Kanpur. The first stadium that I heard of was Green Park Stadium.I imagined there will be a lot of greenery here but when I came here…..,” Akash Deep paused, holding back his laughter even as the press conference room broke into loud guffaws. With an embarrassed smile on his face, he continued: “It’s just great to be here at the stadium, which was my first idea of a stadium.”
Akash Deep’s journey started from Uttar Pradesh and led to him playing domestic cricket in Bengal. Now, he is an important part of Team India‘s pace battery. He feels it’s his responsibility to carry forward the legacy of his predecessors. “Every kid dreams of playing for India. If you are playing in place of a big player, it’s not just a matter of pride but also comes with a responsibility. It’s our responsibility to keep up the good work done by the bowlers before me,” Akash Deep said on Wednesday.
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The grind of domestic cricket ensured that he came into the Indian team aware of his skills. “Over the last two years, I have played a lot of cricket — even after Ranji, you play Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy. As a player, you need to understand yourself and know your strength. The domestic format is so good that by the time you reach this stage, you already know what to do.
“The idea is to put your learning into practice,” he said before going on to add, “When I came here, it was more about the mindset to perform and think on your feet. That’s what I’m trying to pick up from the likes of Bumrah and Siraj. When I got to the ground, Rohit bhaiya made things so simple for me that I didn’t know if I was playing domestic cricket or international cricket.”
Akash Deep’s stocks are on the rise. His ability to hit the deck and derive seam movement has impressed the team management. But he still doesn’t want to think of making it to the tour of Australia in Nov. “I have only played two Test matches. My job is to go out and just hit the right length immediately,” he said. Mohammed Shami is on the verge of a comeback, but Akash Deep certainly wouldn’t want to miss out on the tour Down Under.
