'Chhoti Ganga Bol Kar Naale Mein Kuda Diya': How Flat Tracks In England Propelled Akash Deep To Excel | Exclusive

'Chhoti Ganga Bol Kar Naale Mein Kuda Diya': How Flat Tracks In England Propelled Akash Deep To Excel | Exclusive

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News18.com

Last Updated: August 26, 2025, 10:27 IST

In a candid chat with CricketNext, Akash opens up about the challenges of English pitches, working with Morne Morkel, his rivalry with Ben Duckett, batting exploits and more.

Akash Deep took 13 wickets from three matches. (AFP Photo)

Fresh from the England tour, pacer Akash Deep has been recovering from a back niggle while spending some quality time with his family. The 28-year-old had some terrific outings in England, both with bat and ball. From his memorable 10-wicket haul at Edgbaston to his gritty fifty at The Oval, the Bengal pacer showcased resilience and adaptability in testing overseas conditions.

In a candid conversation with CNN-News18 Cricketnext, Akash opens up about the challenges of English pitches, working with Morne Morkel, his rivalry with Ben Duckett, batting exploits, and the calm influence of Shubman Gill’s captaincy.

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He also shares thoughts on Siraj’s impact, his spiritual side, and lessons from back-to-back tours in Australia and England.

Exceprts

After the England tour, you’ve been home for the past month. How has this period been for you?

It’s been really good. You see, even before the England tour, we had the IPL going on, so by then it had already been six months since I’d been home. Finally, I got to spend some proper time with my family.

You started the England tour with a 10-wicket haul after a shaky start. Talk us through Edgbaston.

Actually, when I was in India, I was very happy just thinking about going to England to play. I had heard so much about those conditions. But when I actually went there and saw the wickets and the conditions myself, it was very different from what I’d imagined. I recalled the scene from that Hindi movie (Run), ‘Chhoti Ganga bata kar naale mein kuda diya’. (laughs) That’s exactly how it felt.

Because there was no swing, no seam movement, runs were flowing freely – teams were making 400-plus scores. But I still had to play that match. So, I told myself: the only thing in my control is to put the ball in the right areas. If I start overthinking the conditions, I’ll only put more pressure on myself. So, I stuck to that – bowling in the right areas, sticking to my strengths.

Bumrah played three matches and missed two. And coincidentally, the two matches he didn’t play, India won. Your thoughts?

I don’t think that’s the right way to look at it. Winning or losing a match shouldn’t be linked to one individual’s presence or absence. Bumrah bhai has won countless matches for India with his bowling. Even on this tour, I remember in the first match he took a five-wicket haul, and then again at Lord’s he picked another five-for. So, I don’t agree with that equation at all. Whenever he has played, he’s always given match-winning performances for the team.

This England tour was quite different from the last one. The average age of the team was 28, and several fresh faces in the bowling unit. How did bowling coach Morne Morkel handle this relatively young group of fast bowlers?

Morne was very good with us. The best thing about him is that he keeps things simple. He doesn’t complicate matters unnecessarily. He knows exactly what each bowler’s strengths are, and then he just focuses on small technical adjustments where required. Because he doesn’t make things complicated, it becomes much easier for us as individuals to understand and apply. That simplicity is his biggest strength as a coach.

Let’s talk about your batting for a bit. Indian fans still haven’t forgotten the sixes you hit in Australia, and before leaving England, you gave us that roaring knock at The Oval. We’d love to hear about that fifty.

See, in that match, I actually had a bit of an injury. While bowling, I had picked up a slight niggle around my thigh. Because of that, I wasn’t able to bowl properly. But since we only had two or three fast bowlers, I had to bowl regardless.

Then I was sent out as a night-watchman. At that point, my mindset was clear: ‘I must not get out’. I had to survive. Because England too only had three bowlers, and if we managed to frustrate them by batting longer, their patience would be tested. Once bowlers lose their patience for an hour or two, it becomes difficult for them to bowl with the same discipline. So that was my thinking.

The next morning, when I went out to bat, I stuck to that same mindset. Ball by ball, I kept telling myself: play this one, then play the next one. I wasn’t even looking at the runs. But as I survived ball after ball, the runs started adding up. And that’s how that fifty came—it was built purely on patience and focus.

If it hadn’t rained in the Oval Test, what result did you expect?

If it hadn’t rained on Day 4, the result would still have been the same as what eventually happened on Day 5. Because by that evening, the momentum had already shifted towards us. England were under pressure, struggling with problems. In Test cricket, momentum keeps swinging – sometimes it’s with you, sometimes with the opposition. But that evening, especially the last half-hour session, which in England is always the toughest for batting, we had clearly won that battle. If not for the

And what about your little rivalry with Ben Duckett?

(Laughs) Yes, he was my target. I had already dismissed him four or five times. In fact, he even said to me once, “This time you won’t be able to get me out." But eventually, I did get him out again.

How was it playing under Gill’s captaincy?

It was very good. Actually, I had played under his captaincy before too—in the Duleep Trophy last year. Even then, I had a very good experience. In one of those matches, I had taken 9–10 wickets. Wherever I’ve played under his captaincy, I’ve performed well, so I consider it lucky for myself.

He has a lot of good ideas, he’s very calm, he understands situations, and he doesn’t react impulsively. For us players, that’s a very good sign. It gives confidence that the captain is composed and thinking clearly.

In the past 7–8 months, you’ve played in both Australia and England, two of the biggest tours of international calendar. How has been your experience?

As long as you’re playing cricket, you’ll always have to keep learning. Every day, you need to improve. To survive at this level, you must keep evolving.

As a fast bowler, I realised that Australia and England are the real testing grounds. That’s where you truly learn cricket – what the team needs from you, how you can improve. These places teach you that skill alone won’t work. You have to be mentally and physically strong enough to bowl for five days straight. That’s the biggest lesson I took from those tours.

Siraj bowled in such a way that he almost destroyed the whole idea of workload management. What did his performance mean to the team?

He was outstanding. The way he bowled across all five matches—you never once felt like this guy was tiring. That sort of energy is very rare. Of course, fitness is one part of it, but I think some of it is also God-gifted. Siraj has that natural energy. Even after bowling so many overs, he still comes back with the same intensity. That’s something special.

You often visit temples after a series. Has this spirituality been recent or since childhood?

I’ve had it since childhood. I strongly believe in spirituality. But not because I think going to temples will give me results directly. For me, it’s about peace of mind. When I go there, I feel calm, I feel inspired to do good things. It also creates a sort of restriction—it stops me from doing the wrong things. That’s the kind of learning I take from going to temples. And yes, it gives me a lot of peace.

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And how’s your health right now?

I’m fine. I’ll be starting bowling again in two or three days.

About the Author Aakash Biswas A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the way for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I have had ... Read More A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the way for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I have had ... Read More

First Published: August 26, 2025, 10:27 IST

News cricket 'Chhoti Ganga Bol Kar Naale Mein Kuda Diya': How Flat Tracks In England Propelled Akash Deep To Excel | Exclusive

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