A coach who believed in him more than himself, a captain who supported when the chips were down and conditions that felt more like home than away — Indian pacer Akash deep says his maiden but impactful tour of England was rather smooth. A 10-wicket match-haul in one game and a very important half-century in another, both in winning causes, summed up Akash Deep’s performance that has made him an overnight star but he can’t forget what head coach Gautam Gambhir told him after his 66 at the Oval.
“You aren’t aware of your capabilities. See, I was telling you, you can do it. You have to play with this dedication always,” Akash told PTI, quoting Gambhir’s words.
“Gautam bhai is a very passionate coach. He always motivates us. He believes in me more than I believe in myself, in both my batting and my bowling,” he added.
The 28-year-old fast bowler made his debut during Rahul Dravid’s tenure in February 2024, going on to play nine more Tests under Gambhir. He was part of the Australia tour, featuring in two Tests in Brisbane and Melbourne.
In England, Akash missed the series opener in Leeds, but claimed a 10-wicket match haul in the second Test at Birmingham, bowling India to a famous win.
While wickets were harder to come by at Lord’s and The Oval, Akash made important contributions with the bat, again as a nightwatchman, in the crucial deciding Test.
