Only a few months into his new post-retirement life, some cricket games have become hazy memories for Manoj Tiwary. But there is one incident that the former Bengal captain can clearly recall: the revenge Ranji Trophy semifinal against Madhya Pradesh in February last year. “Akash Deep ne khol diya tha Rajat Patidar ko,” he recalls with a sense of pride. A fifer by the pacer had helped Bengal take down the reigning champions and reach yet another final.
“In domestic matches, when the chips are down, when not much is happening for the bowlers on slow, flat pitches, when bowlers look tired, you want someone to put their hand up and say ‘main daalta hoon (I’ll do it)’. Akash Deep is that kind of a player; he wants to take up that challenge. There have been countless instances where he has done that,” Tiwary reflects on Akash Deep’s unwavering spirit.
That desire to rise to the occasion, combined with his skill to bowl accurately at pace, is what has made him an international-level bowler, propelling his career from the lanes of a small town in Uttar Pradesh to international cricket grounds, according to Tiwary. Growing up in Varanasi, Green Park was the first international cricket stadium Akash Deep had heard of. He’d assumed that the ground must be really green for it to be named so. However, when he entered the stadium for the first time as an Indian cricketer on a recent Tuesday, there wasn’t much of that color to witness. Even the exterior fittings of the stadium had its green shade cut to teal.
In all likelihood, India might look to drop one pacer to include an additional spinner for the second Test in Kanpur. Irrespective of whether Akash Deep continues to hold on to his spot in the team or not, it’s unlikely that he will have a big role to play in the Test. How tough then would this potential lost opportunity be for a young, in-form fast bowler who is looking to ascend in the pecking order of India’s fast bowling lineup?
Akash isn’t too worried, and his understanding of his role is rather simple: “No matter how the wicket is, when I’m playing, my job is to bowl in the right areas. Even if the pitch is not in favor of fast bowlers, I have to take wickets. So I have to make plans accordingly.” In a 10-minute chat two days ahead of the game, he kept reiterating the importance of ‘keeping it simple,’ one of the many modern-day clichés, a phrase that’s thrown around liberally but often spoken more than practiced. Tiwary, his former Bengal captain, however, insists that it is indeed one of Akash’s core strengths. He calls him a ‘blindfolded ghoda (horse).’
“When we play outside Kolkata, you want a bowler who bowls genuinely quick and in the right areas. In most of the country, we tend to get either batter-friendly or spin-friendly wickets. So you need them to bend their backs a bit as fast bowlers. He is a blindfolded horse. Whatever you tell him as a captain, he obeys that,” Tiwary elaborates.
The philosophy of ‘keeping it simple’ had its effects even in the helpful conditions in Chennai last week, when he operated effectively from around the wicket against the left-handers in the top order. “In the first innings, there was a bit of assistance,” Akash explained. “I’m more comfortable bowling round the wicket; it’s one of my strengths. I bowled one over over the wicket and then in the second over, I felt that I was able to create some chances. The ball was swinging anyway, so I wanted to keep it simple. That helped. It wasn’t as if I wanted to go out and take wickets right away.
. I just wanted to bowl in the right areas.”
Akash may be only two Tests old, but in a short span in home conditions, he has done enough to make an impression in an attack that already boasts the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja. It helps that he came in with the cognizance of the role he was stepping into.
“To play for India is every child’s dream. It’s a matter of great pride. But in some way, it’s also a responsibility for us when you’re filling the shoes of bowlers who have contributed so much for the country,” he said, crediting his captain for not allowing the pressure to weigh on him. The message from the India captain was also about keeping it simple. “Earlier, I was hesitant about what kind of pressure I would be under when I play for India,” he said, heaping praise on Rohit Sharma. “There was a bit of confusion. But when I entered the ground, (Rohit) bhaiya kept things so simple that I never felt like I was playing international cricket. I don’t think in my life I’ve ever had or will get such a sorted captain.”
For someone who found his path to the national team through his red-ball exploits rather than the IPL, there is more to Akash’s game than just pace. “What makes him stand out are the areas that he bowls,” Tiwary vouches. “We have seen a number of genuine fast bowlers who come in domestic cricket, but they are not consistent in the areas that they bowl. Genuine pacers tend to be wayward. His accuracy and areas have always been very good.”
“He has also constantly learned and evolved as an individual. With one variation, you can’t survive at the top level. He has gradually improved in that aspect as well. And obviously, his hunger, dedication, and honest hard work are what have helped him. Even while playing for Bengal, one thing that I always liked about his bowling was his tenacity to bowl at the same pace across the first, second, and third spell.”
“Whether he plays Irani Trophy or IPL, whenever he comes back to play Ranji or one-dayers for Bengal, he will give 100 percent, nothing less. That sets him apart. Usually, when someone plays for India and comes back to play domestic cricket, especially fast bowlers, they tend to take it a little easy. But he gives it his all. He understands where he comes from and what has made him. He is incredibly grounded and hard-working.”
The primary reason Akash got to feature in the Chennai Test was because India went in with three seamers and Mohammed Shami was unavailable due to his injury. Now that he has made the most of that opportunity, he can hope for another shot in the team. Even as childhood memories have made his visit to Green Park slightly overwhelming, it’s unlikely that there will be much from the pitch to excite the fast bowler in him. But as Tiwary says, maybe that’s a challenge he will be willing to take on and put his hand up if given the opportunity.