Former India player RP Singh has applauded Akash Deep for proving the Indian team management’s call of fielding him as the second seamer in the fourth Test against England right as well. With Jasprit Bumrah rested for the fourth Test, the debutant was preferred over Mukesh Kumar as Mohammed Siraj’s new-ball partner as well. He registered figures of 3/70 in 17 overs as England posted 302/7 in their first innings by Stumps on Day 1 (Friday, February 23) in Ranchi as well.
During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, RP Singh said: “It’s a huge challenge to leave your state and play from another state, especially in our country, where there are so many players and everyone wants their spot. When you go to another state, you get less opportunities. He made the most of those chances, performed there, and he got the reward for those performances today. He justified his selection. He made the best impact a fast bowler could on this slow and low track.”
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“The special thing in his bowling was that he found the length that would hit the top of the off-stump on this Ranchi wicket. The ball was moving, so he bowled the maximum deliveries on the seam. We saw him bowling with full effort and with the right intent even in his final spell. We also got to see pace. He has a quick-arm action, which is not that easy to read. The best thing is that there are butterflies in the first match but they were probably calmed in the first one or two overs itself,” RP Singh further added.
However, RP Singh also added that Rohit Sharma underutilised Kuldeep Yadav and overused Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin on the first day of the fourth Test between India and England in Ranchi on Friday, February 23 as well. Kuldeep went wicketless but gave away only 21 runs in his 10 overs. Jadeja and Ashwin returned figures of 1-55 and 1-83 in 27 and 22 overs respectively as well.
During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, RP Singh said: “The bowlers put in a lot of effort. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and both the fast bowlers put in a lot of effort. Siraj bowled better in his second spell than his first. The only thing I have a doubt about is that you didn’t use Kuldeep Yadav as much as you should have. Jadeja and Ashwin were overbowled and Kuldeep couldn’t bowl that much because of that, and this happens as well. When you have three spinners, and all three are wicket-takers, one of the bowlers is underbowled many times and that happened with Kuldeep here.”
