Indian Bowling Star Akash Deep Gets Brutally Honest About England’s ‘Baz-Ball’ Pitches 

Akash Deep also claimed two quick wickets in the second innings of the Edgbaston Test, dismissing England's Ben Duckett and Joe Root.

Indian Bowling Star Akash Deep Gets Brutally Honest About England’s ‘Baz-Ball’ Pitches 

Akash Deep gave an honest yet brutal assesment of the Edgbaston pitche. (via India Today)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Indian pacer Akash Deep, after a brilliant day with the ball against England, offered a blunt assessment of English pitches. He described them as aggressively batting-friendly, perfectly suited for the Three Lions’ ‘Baz-Ball’ style of Test cricket.

Coming in as a replacement for Jasprit Bumrah, who opted to rest from the second Test to manage his workload, Akash Deep claimed his maiden four-wicket haul, ending with figures of 4/88 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. He proved to be an ideal bowling partner for Mohammed Siraj, who claimed a six-wicket haul. Together, the duo restricted England to 407 runs, enabling India to take a massive 180-run lead.

Despite conceding 12 runs in his first over, the 28-year-old pacer staged a strong comeback by taking two wickets on consecutive deliveries in his very next over. He first dismissed the in-form Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope. Akash Deep continued with it by breaking the remarkable 303-run partnership between Jamie Smith and Harry Brook, removing Brook, and then swiftly followed up with the wicket of Chris Woakes.

Speaking after the end of the third day’s play, Akash Deep interestingly offered a brutal assessment of the Edgbaston pitch, suggesting that the surface has not acted the way he had originally anticipated. He also stated that he had expected the English pitches to offer assistance to the new ball, with considerable swing and seam movement. However, he noted that the wickets have unexpectedly become batting-friendly, and that the surface is suitable for England’s ‘Baz-Ball’ style of play. He said, after the match:

I had expected the ball to seam and swing in England but on these kinds of flat wickets, you can only be disciplined about your plans.

‘Baz-Ball’ is the aggressive and attacking style of playing Test cricket, popularized by the England’s head coach Brendon McCullum. This philosophy has led the ECB to prioritize preparing flat, batting-friendly pitches that encourage aggressive stroke play and quick run-scoring.

Deep also explained the challenges that he faced, while bowling on the Edgbaston pitch. He noted that the pitch did not offer much pace, particularly in the middle overs. He elaborated that the bowlers had to adjust to these conditions, maintaining consistent strategies throughout the match.

Nonetheless, it remains to be seen what lies ahead for Akash Deep and his teammates, in the ongoing second Test match against England. The Men in Blue are surely aiming to level the series at 1-1 before heading to Lord’s Cricket Ground for the third Test next week.

Edgbaston Star Akash Deep Unsure of Playing Lord’s Test as Jasprit Bumrah Set to Return

While Akash Deep has captivated fans with his four-wicket haul against England in the second Test at Edgbaston, his place in the playing XI for the Lord’s Test remains in doubt. Jasprit Bumrah is expected to return to the lineup, after having missed the Birmingham encounter. 

Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep
Akash Deep’s chances of making it into the playing XI for the Lord’s Test remains in doubt, as Jasprit Bumrah is set to return. (via Cricbuzz)

Bumrah will reclaim his spot in the XI at Lord’s, after having rested in order to remain fit. The 31-year-old had previously shared his intent on playing only three out of the five Tests against England. With Bumrah’s return, Akash Deep might still slot in for Prasidh Krishna, who has underperformed in the two outings. If India decides to play with only one spinner, Deep could then be the fourth bowling option.

However, it depends on the team management and the skipper to decide the playing XI for the Lord’s Test. Meanwhile, the talented Akash Deep has increased his Test wicket tally to 21 in eight matches for India, maintaining a decent average of 31.05.