'Matter of Pride Myself and Mukesh Kumar Will be in Indian Dressing Room Together': Akash Deep Expresses Gratitude to Bengal After Test Call-up

Akash Deep received his maiden Test call-up on Saturday as he got picked in the India squad for the last three matches against England. The Bengal paceman impressed the team management with his impressive show for India A in the unofficial Tests against England Lions. He picked 13 wickets in three matches and got a maiden Test call-up for the senior team.

The 27-year-old was playing in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal when he received the news of the Test call-up. He was fielding near the boundary when he heard everyone in the Bengal dressing room clapping in unison and congratulating him.

He had just received his maiden call-up to the Indian Test squad for the remaining three matches against England, a reward for his hard work in red-ball cricket for Bengal and India A over the past season.

“I was hopeful that in near future I might get a Test call-up if I keep performing but I didn’t expect that it would come by third match itself,” Akash Deep’s soft voice belied any sense of elation as he spoke to PTI from his hotel room at Thumba in Kerala.

It has been a good seven-year journey for the 27-year-old from being the star tennis ball all-rounder in Durgapur to playing first division in Kolkata, followed by U-23 and First-Class cricket.

He made his First Class debut in 2019 and has claimed 103 wickets in 29 matches thus far. He has been a consistent performer with the ball for Bengal, meanwhile, he is also a handy batter lower down the order.

“Inswing is my stock delivery but at this level, you need to have outswing and reverse swing and more importantly need to control the swing.

I was in (India) ODI squad in South Africa and realised more than skill, at this level, it is more about mental strength of being able to execute plans under pressure,” he said.

This is first time in many years that two Bengal pacers are together in the Indian Test team.

“This is a matter of pride that myself and Mukesh (Kumar) bhai will be in the Indian dressing room together in a Test team. Bengal is our state and it has given us everything. This national call-up is my way of showing my gratitude to Bengal,” he said.