Indian pacer Akash Deep joined an elite list, becoming the fifth bowler to secure a four-wicket haul in both innings of a Test match in England. However, he has brought five wickets in the second innings of the match.
The 28-year-old achieved this milestone during the second Test against England at Birmingham on Sunday.
Akash Deep’s Day 5 Spell Rocks England’s Middle Order
On the final day, Akash was on fire. He dismissed Ollie Pope and Harry Brook early in the session to finish with 4/58 in the second innings.
In the first innings, he had already taken 4/88, making life difficult for the English batters with his control and pace.
With this performance, he now stands alongside legends like Chetan Sharma (1986), Zaheer Khan (2007), Jasprit Bumrah (2021), and Mohammed Siraj (2021) — all of whom picked four-fers in both innings on English soil.
India has never lost a match when one of their pacers pulled off this rare feat in England. In cases like Bumrah and Sharma, the match ended in a draw, while Siraj and Zaheer’s efforts resulted in victories.
England Struggle in Second Innings as India Push for Victory
England began Day 5 on 72/3, needing a near-impossible 608 to win, with Harry Brook on 15 and Ollie Pope on 24.
After a two-hour rain delay, play began with India needing seven wickets to level the series 1-1.
Akash Deep made immediate impact, removing both overnight batters in his opening spell.
Washington Sundar also chipped in, trapping England captain Ben Stokes lbw for 33 just before lunch.
By the lunch break, England was 153/6 with Jamie Smith unbeaten on 32, still needing 455 runs.
Shubman Gill’s Twin Centuries Set Up India’s Dominance
Earlier in the match, India had posted a mammoth 587 in the first innings, thanks to Shubman Gill’s career-best 269 and Ravindra Jadeja’s 89.
In reply, England managed 407, with Jamie Smith scoring an unbeaten 184 and Harry Brook adding 158.
Mohammed Siraj stood out with the ball, grabbing 6/70 to give India a strong 180-run lead.
India then declared at 427/6 in the second innings, setting England a steep 608-run target. Gill once again led the way with 161, registering centuries in both innings of the Test.
Brief Score Summary
India: 587 (Shubman Gill 269, Ravindra Jadeja 89; Shoaib Bashir 3/167)
England: 407 (Jamie Smith 184*, Harry Brook 158; Mohammed Siraj 6/70)
India (2nd innings): 427/6 decl. (Shubman Gill 161, Ravindra Jadeja 69*)
England (2nd innings): 220/7 (Ben Stokes 33, Jamie Smith 82*; Akash Deep 4/58)
(With Inputs From ANI)
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