Gautam bhai always tells me ‘you are not aware of your own talent’: Akash Deep

A coach who believed in him more than himself, a captain who supported when the chips were down and conditions that felt more like home than away—Indian pacer Akash deep says his maiden but impactful tour of England was rather smooth.

A 10-wicket match-haul in one game and a very important half-century in another, both in winning causes, summed up the performance that has made Akash Deep an overnight star. But he can’t forget what head coach Gautam Gambhir told him after his 66 at the Oval.

“Tumko khud pata nahi tum kya kar sakte ho (You aren’t aware of your capabilities). ‘See, I was telling you, you can do it. You have to play with this dedication always’,” the 29-year-old recollected in an interview to PTI.

“Gautam bhai is a very passionate coach. He always motivates us. He believes in me more than I believe in myself, both in my batting and bowling,” he gushed after having earned the vote of confidence from his coach.

Having made his Test debut under Rohit Sharma and now playing under Shubman Gill, the adjustment has been easy for the Bengal speedster, who terms the new skipper as someone who is calm yet brimming with on-field ideas.

“He is a very good captain. It’s not like he is a new captain. He has already been an IPL captain for a couple of years, which is a big platform. That experience does count,” he said.

“With Shubman as captain, I didn’t feel like I was playing for the first time. He’s very supportive. When a captain supports you and understands things well, especially when you are down, it makes a big difference.”

“I have played Duleep Trophy under his captaincy last year so it wasn’t the first time. He is a cool customer with a lot of ideas and when someone is calm, it helps in taking good on-field decisions,” Akash Deep explained.

Although it was his first time in England, Akash Deep, for the better part of the series, felt that he was playing on sub-continental tracks with negligible movement for quick bowlers.

“In Australia, there was a lot of bounce and carry and I tried keeping it slightly back of length or at times pitch it up. However, in four out of the five Tests that we played in England, it didn’t resemble the typical English wickets that we have traditionally heard of or seen over the years.”

“If you see, the ball wasn’t seaming or swinging a lot at times and we had to hit the India length, fuller one. We had to make that adjustment which, if you have played enough cricket, you should be able to do it.”

Akash Deep then dwelled on his net routines and visualisation techniques before going into an actual match. “Practice sessions are very important for me in terms of execution. I am always trying to think about the main opposition batter that I am supposed to bowl,” he revealed.

“Bhale hi main Yashasvi ko nets pe ball daloon, plan mera (Ben) Duckett aur (Joe) Root ke liye hota thaa. (I might be bowling to Yashasvi in nets but my plan was for Duckett or Root).”

When asked about concerns around his fitness after he missed games in both the tours of Australia and England due to niggles, Akash Deep said he is doing his best to be in good shape. “The on-field impact injuries can’t be avoided. If you have to dive to save a boundary, you have to do it. You can’t think that I will hurt my shoulder and all. Yes, if it is fitness and training related injuries, the aim is to minimise them as much as possible,” he said.

Till now, Akash Deep has played 10 Tests and taken 28 wickets. When asked if he has been zeroed in only for the longer version of the game, Akash Deep said that he hasn’t been told anything in specific. “We can’t just go and talk to selectors. They are experienced people and when they feel that they need me for any format, they would summon. My job is to perform and be ready for call ups.”

Before the tour of England, his sister Akhanda Jyoti was diagnosed with cancer and it was a particularly tough time for family. Once he landed back in India, he first went to Lucknow to meet his sister. “She was very happy. The treatment is a bit tough for all the patients. There are complications but with the series on for nearly two months and a family member playing, it kept her interested.

“I was thinking even if she felt the pain at times because she is keenly following my performance, at times you don’t think about it and good performances always makes one happy. When you are happy, even if there are multiple complications in the body for some time, you tend to forget,” he said.

Another task he completed after returning was buying his dream car, a luxury SUV.

It was a massive moment for the player who was a tennis ball cricketer in Bengal’s Durgapur Town, playing second division club cricket for a pittance. The cricketer, who hails from Bihar’s Sasaram, said he has gone with the flow in life and never planned anything.

“...I have always tried to stay in present and improve and work upon my skills every day, the endeavour was to be the better version of myself every single day. Yes, good things are a part of life but the heart of my life is cricket, and that’s what is my focus,” he said.

“The fancy car makes you happy, I won’t deny but that’s very transient. It doesn’t stay after some time. Yes, my family would find joys in these achievements and I find happiness in seeing them smile. But to tell you the truth, I have never put a lot of thought into what I want to achieve,” he concluded.