'If it's a winning contribution, then I get a lot of satisfaction from it, no matter which team I am playing for.'
Akash Deep's sensational 10-wicket haul powered India to a historic win over England at Edgbaston last month -- their first-ever Test win at the venue.
He picked up 4 for 88 in the first innings to set the tone, and followed it up with a sensational 6 for 99 -- his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket -- to help dismantle England on the final day. The pacer's combined match figures of 10 for 187 bettered Chetan Sharma's 10 for 188 -- a mark set back in 1986.
Akash Deep also contributed with the bat, scoring a vital half-century after being sent in as the nightwatch in India's second innings with a career-best 66.
His 107-run partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal proved to be a decisive turning point as it helped India post a formidable 396 in their second innings, setting England a stiff 374 for victory.
The match-winning haul at Edgbaston holds a special place for the 28-year-old Bengal pacer.
"Individual performance didn't matter to me. What mattered was that I was able to make my country win with those 10 wickets. If it's a winning contribution, then I get a lot of satisfaction from it, no matter which team I am playing for. So, 10 wickets that led to the team winning the match would be something very memorable in my life," Akash told Boria Majumdar on Revsportz.
Reflecting on India's bowling strategy on the final day of The Oval Test, Akash said the plan was simple -- keep the pressure on. India edged England by six runs in the fifth and final Test to draw the series 2-2.
"We were bowling on the second day when the wicket was not much help and there was no movement. Our belief was that England is such a team where if you can break partnerships and take 1-2 wickets, then they give you wickets in bunches, and come under pressure. The way they were playing, I felt it would have been very stressful for them to bat under pressure and win the match from there. So, our plan was to just bowl in the right areas and they were under pressure. So, overall it worked out," added the Bengal pacer.
"Yes, it was intense and there was pressure. But I guess that pressure made us aggressive and the game turned out to be good for us. The pressure helped us focus and notice what was going on better. The crowd played a big part in the evening, as it totally changed – cheering for us after cheering for England before that. After playing for so long, the body was very tired but the crowd’s energy gave us a lot of enthusiasm," he further told Revsportz.
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