Akash Deep's Edgbaston Masterclass-A Seam-Intelligent Star Rises for India

Akash Deep's showing at Edgbaston will be spoken of in awe for many years to come as a time when an unknown face in Indian cricket rose to the occasion and produced a wow performance. It was not merely statistics but the manner in which he bowled with skill precision and assurance that made his ten-wicket match so remarkable. For an England debutant to pick 10 wickets in a single Test match is something that does not happen commonly and Akash achieved it with an air of style that left many recalling Mohammed Shami. Indeed a picture of Akash, stump in hand, ball in other, after the match was reminiscent of the way Shami had done similarly years ago in Visakhapatnam. The only difference being, however. Shami had experienced this before but for Akash it was all new. The cameras the crowd the cheer all of it was new and he absorbed it the best way he could.

On a track that did not have much for the fast bowlers Akash Deep worked magic. Where England's seasoned pace attack toiled through both innings to get wickets Akash managed to make the best of whatever he had. He did not depend on swing or showy movement in the air. Instead, he relied on the seam the bounce and his inherent skid to good effect. Most bowlers' dreams are to bowl in England on green tracks under overcast conditions where the ball swings all day. But this was not one of those days. This was a dead pitch that hardly assisted anyone. But Akash remained unperturbed and continued to attack the stumps relentlessly.

His strategy was straightforward and worked to perfection. With an intelligent field arrangement involving two slips a gully and a couple of midwickets Akash was prompted to target the stumps instead of the edge. This rendered him far more dangerous particularly with the fissures on the pitch starting to split open on the fourth and fifth days. He bowled at ugly lengths not always full but still able to make the ball hit the stumps with force. His undoing of Harry Brook was a perfect case in point. The ball was pitched a little short of good length but still nipped back hard and would have hit the stumps. Brook was torn in two minds neither forward nor back and refered the decision expecting the ball to miss. It didn't and that's where Akash's natural skiddy pace came into play.

Akash Deep's approach has been developed over the years playing Indian pitches which don't always favor bowlers. He's accustomed to bowling on dry pitches with minimal assistance from the surface. As the years have gone by, he has become a master of hitting the stumps and picking up wickets in that manner. Prior to this series even starting his first-class record in India indicated that more than a third of his wickets had been taken by bowling out batters. Few others, besides Mohammed Shami, have approached the numbers in India and that makes some sense. Whereas Shami bowls with a surge of speed and movement Akash does something a little different. He trusts seam movement from the pitch and quick angles as opposed to pure speed. And yet the outcome is often the same. The stumps fly and the batter walks back, dazed and confused.

There's something deceptive about Akash Deep's bowling too. Since he doesn't bowl from a very full length batters believe they can remain back or play from the crease. However, that's where his talent comes in. Even if the ball is not pitched up it can still slide under the bat and knock over the stumps. This makes it extremely challenging for the batters to determine whether to come forward or remain back. Against a batsman like Joe Root who is reputed for his strong technique Akash was able to defeat him twice in a single match. That's no easy task and it displays how perilous he can prove himself on any type of surface.

Another major point in this Test was the manner in which India's bowlers adjusted to the weather conditions more effectively compared to England's. While the English pacers kept searching for swing and struggled to find rhythm Akash and Siraj adjusted their lines and lengths and bowled more deliveries that would hit the stumps. It was smart cricket and it made all the difference. Akash slipped into what athletes often call the zone where everything else fades away and all that matters is the next ball. There were even instances when he forgot if he had the ball or not and needed to be reminded it was not his turn to bowl. But these were not indicative of confusion. These were indicative of intensity and focus. He was experiencing the game with each breath.

This was a game in which Akash Deep finally arrived in the international arena. He not only bowled well he outplayed veteran international bowlers on a track that was not favoring fast bowlers. He discomforted batters in confusion and ultimately bowled them out to the pavilion. On a ground like Edgbaston where the Asian team has hardly ever won a Test this win was all the more significant. It wasn't just about ego it was about giving India a rare victory on English soil and becoming part of a bigger narrative about the development of India's fast bowling strength.

Akash Deep may not be a name on everyone's lips yet but after this match he certainly has everyone's attention. His straight-bowling ability to attack the stumps and his ability to perform under varying conditions set him apart from being a potential cornerstone of India's bowling lineup in the years to come. He may be dubbed a Shami-lite by some but if he keeps bowling like he is now then he will etch his own name and position for himself in Indian cricket. His spell at Edgbaston will be recalled not only for the figures but for the serenity of skill and unobtrusive self-assurance with which he made himself known to the world.