A tricky call eventually bore fruit.

Following his impressive showing for Bengal U-23 after sessions with former Bengal pacer and current junior national selector Ranadeb Bose at the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB)’s Vision project, Akash Deep was fast-tracked into the senior Bengal team during the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy.

After consulting with Sourasish Lahiri, who was in charge of the Bengal U-23 team at the time, Arun Lal, the then-head coach, and former director of cricket operations Joydeep Mukherjee — with support from the then-CAB administration — decided to include Akash in the squad to revamp the pace attack, emphasising youth.

The decision turned out to be a masterstroke as Akash played a leading role in
Bengal’s runners-up finish that season.

One of the IPL franchises, thereafter, wanted to rope in Akash as their
net bowler for the 2020 edition of the tournament at a deal of “around ₹1 or
2 lakh”.

“The CAB then stepped in, ensuring Akash got a better contract since he was already in the Rest of India squad for the 2020 Irani Cup,” a state association insider said.

However, consistency in red-ball cricket helped the 28-year-old pacer from Nishan Nagar Baddi in Bihar’s Rohtas district become sharper. That eventually earned him an India Test berth in February 2024.

In Birmingham, too, Akash got a chance only because Jasprit Bumrah was rested. It wasn’t easy. Besides facing an ultra-aggressive England batting line-up, he also had to deal with an extremely flat pitch.

For a bowler who has gone through the grind of first-class cricket by picking up wickets even on the most unresponsive of surfaces, an opportunity was there. And Akash came out with flying colours with a match haul of 10/187, which was as instrumental as captain Shubman Gill’s 430 runs in earning India their first Test victory at Edgbaston
on Sunday.

“Like (Mohammed) Shami, Akash uses the seam quite well, while his quick-arm action too is one of his advantages. He’s even using the crease well, like he did to dismiss Joe Root (on Day IV of the second Test), going a tad wider to shape the ball in and then seam it away.

“That kind of delivery underlines how well Akash is evolving,” Lahiri emphasised.

Darting the ball back in, with which he dismissed Harry Brook in both innings at Edgbaston, has always been Akash’s strength. But in this just-concluded Test,
he beat the rival batters outside the off-stump too on a few occasions.

“When I came in as (Bengal) coach, I had spoken to Akash about the importance of bowling at the off-stump channel or just outside off. He did exactly so in this Test,” current Bengal coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla stated.

According to Lal, Akash’s maturity level is also a guiding factor in his progress
at present.

“His main strength was that incoming ball, late swing. Lately, he’s setting up
guys, bowling outside off-stump or a little straight and then suddenly, there’s one that comes in. Yesterday (Sunday), he bowled well within himself, though he can bowl four-five kilometres faster. But rightly, he has understood not to bowl every ball
too fast, which proves his maturity,” Lal, a former India opener, explained.

Expectations from Akash will be greater now, and it begins with the Lord’s Test, which starts on Thursday.

“He’s supremely confident now but is also aware of the need to give his all when training resumes tomorrow (Tuesday),” Akash’s cousin, Baibhaw Kumar, said.