On a lively Day 2 of the fifth and final Test between England and India at The Oval, Akash Deep finally managed to get one over Ben Duckett, breaking a blazing opening stand that had India scrambling for answers. After India were bowled out for 224 in the first innings—thanks to a superb five-wicket haul by Gus Atkinson—the English openers came out in pure white-ball mode.

Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley unleashed a flurry of attacking strokes, including unorthodox reverse ramps and cheeky scoops, to put immense pressure on the Indian pace attack. Akash Deep, who had been at the receiving end of Duckett’s aggression in previous encounters, finally had his moment. In the 13th over, he delivered a fullish ball that straightened just enough off the seam.

Duckett, in an attempt to reverse-scoop yet again, only managed a faint edge that keeper Dhruv Jurel comfortably pouched. The partnership of 92 runs came to an end, with Duckett walking back after a quickfire 43. Interestingly, this was the fourth time in Test cricket that Akash Deep had dismissed Duckett, a personal rivalry that seems to be heating up.

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But it wasn’t just the dismissal that made headlines—it was the follow-up. Akash celebrated with a fist pump, then walked up to Duckett, put an arm around him, and exchanged a few words. While the gesture seemed part camaraderie, part send-off, KL Rahul quickly stepped in to diffuse any tension by pulling Akash away. Though not overtly aggressive, the celebration raised eyebrows.

Charge halted! 🔥#AkashDeep strikes as #BenDuckett falls trying to get cheeky, ending his aggressive knock! 💪🏻#ENGvIND 👉 5th TEST, DAY 2 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar 👉 https://t.co/TY23MOyDXC pic.twitter.com/Z8dFP8kS01

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) August 1, 2025

Commentators Michael Atherton and Dinesh Karthik, both in the commentary box at the time, weighed in on the incident. Atherton remarked, “He’s given Duckett a bit of a send-off, which is probably unnecessary… How many bowlers put an arm around you after dismissing you, DK?” Karthik responded cautiously, “It’s not the ideal way to send off a batter, even if it wasn’t overly hostile. But maybe they share a past. Duckett’s reaction was surprisingly calm.”

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Earlier, Karun Nair had provided a brief resistance for India, scoring a gritty 57 off 109 balls. However, it was Atkinson’s disciplined spell that ensured England had the upper hand heading into their batting innings. The Duckett-Akash Deep moment, though, added a layer of spice to an already intense Test.