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 jog his memory back to: the revenge Ranji Trophy semifinal against Madhya Pradesh in February last year. “Akash Deep ne khol diya tha Rajat Patidar ko,” Tiwary recalls. A five-wicket haul 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 player; he wants to take up that challenge. There have been countless instances where he has done that,” Tiwary continues.
It’s this unwavering desire, combined with his skill to bowl accurately at pace, that has made Akash an international-level bowler, transporting his career from the lanes of a small town in Uttar Pradesh to the international cricket grounds, according to Tiwary.
Growing up in Varanasi, Green Park was the first international cricket stadium Akash Deep had heard of. “I’d assumed that the ground must be really green for it to be named so,” Akash reminisces. Yet, when he entered the stadium for the first time as an India cricketer on a recent Tuesday, the lush green he had imagined was nowhere to be seen. Even the exterior fittings of the stadium had seen their green shade change to teal.
In all probability, India might look to drop one pacer to include an additional spinner for the upcoming 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 major role to play in the Test. How would this possible lost opportunity affect a young, in-form fast bowler eager to rise in the team’s fast-bowling hierarchy?
Akash isn’t too fussed. 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 favour of fast bowlers, I have to take wickets. So I have to make plans accordingly.”
In a 10-minute chat just two days ahead of the game, he kept emphasizing the importance of ‘keeping it simple,’ a modern-day cliché often spoken of but rarely practiced to its fullest extent. Tiwary, his former Bengal captain, insists that it is genuinely one of Akash’s core strengths, dubbing him a ‘blindfolded ghoda (horse).’
“When we play outside Kolkata, you need a bowler who bowls genuinely quick and in the right areas. In most of the country, we tend to get either batter-friendly wickets or spin-friendly wickets. So you need them to bend their backs a bit as fast bowlers,” Tiwary explains. “He is a blindfolded horse. Whatever you tell him as a captain, he obeys that.”
Keeping it simple had even shown its effectiveness in the favorable conditions in Chennai last week, where Akash operated efficiently from round 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 felt in the second over that I was able to create some chances. The ball was swinging anyway, so I wanted to keep it simple, which 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.”
Despite being only two Tests old, Akash has already done enough to make an impression within an attack that already boasts the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja. His understanding of his role from the onset has also been critical.
“To play for India is every child’s dream. It’s a matter of great pride, but it’s also a responsibility 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 him down.
It has also been beneficial that the message from India’s captain Rohit Sharma was about keeping it simple. “Earlier, I was hesitant about what kind of pressure I would be under when I play for India,” Akash said, heaping praise on 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 ascended to the national team on the back of his red-ball exploits rather than through the IPL, Akash brings more than just pace to the table.
“What makes him stand out are the areas that he bowls,” Tiwary emphasizes. “We’ve seen a number of genuine fast bowlers come up in domestic cricket, but they’re not consistent in the areas 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. When he plays for Bengal, whether it’s the Ranji Trophy or one-dayers, he will give 100 percent, nothing less. That sets him apart. Usually, when someone plays for India and returns to 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 hardworking.”
The primary reason Akash featured in the Chennai Test was due to India going in with three seamers while Mohammed Shami was unavailable because of injury. Now that he has capitalized on that opportunity, he can hope for another shot in the team. Even though childhood memories have made his visit to Green Park slightly overwhelming, it’s unlikely that the pitch will offer much to tease the fast bowler in him. But as Tiwary suggests, maybe that’s a challenge Akash will be willing to take on, putting his hand up if given an opportunity.