'Behen yeh tumare liye hai': Akash Deep dedicates Edgbaston heroics to sister battling cancer

Akash Deep dedicates Edgbaston heroics to sister battling cancer (AP Photo)

The moment India's playing XI for the second Test at Edgbaston was revealed plenty of questions were directed at the captain Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir for excluding team's premier bowler Jasprit Bumrah. While Bumrah was rested keeping his workload in mind, many ex-cricketers argued that there was a substantial gap between the first and the second Test and with the series on the line, hinted it as a wrong move.

Shubman Gill record 269 - the highest individual score from an Indian outside the sub-continent and the most by an Asian batter on English soil - almost ensured Bumrah wouldn't be missed further as the action proceeds. His gigantic effort saw India pile 587 in the first innings, which proved more than enough for the opposition despite their depth in batting.

But what followed next was least anticipated. Without Bumrah, the attack appeared to lack venom but the seam pair of Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj responded brilliantly, exceeding expectations. It all began with Akash Deep packing previous match centurion Ben Duckett and England captain Ben Stokes in consecutive deliveries to hand India the much-needed momentum.

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While Siraj had a role to play, it was Akash Deep who struck the hardest when it mattered the most. After his twin blows, India saw the momentum slip as wicketkeeper Jamie Smith and Harry Brook stitched a 303-run partnership, which featured a 23-run carnage against India's third seamer Prasidh Krishna. It drove England from a precarious 84/5 to 387/6 and kept them alive in the contest.

The ruthless approach left India frustrated, the fall in the body language had started to appear, but it was Akash Deep, who once again lifted the mood by castling Harry Brook for 158. This moment triggered India's comeback, something from which England never recovered.

After India's declaration for 427/6 in the second innings, the onus once again fell on the pace duo Akash Deep and Siraj to fold England in limited time, which they did much before the close of play on the final day, also interrupted by rain. The target (608) seemed impossible but India still needed a final blow to square things up after the debacle at Headingley, Leeds - where despite dominating the majority of the Test, the team fell to a five-wicket defeat.

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Siraj provided the first injection, following which it was Akash Deep all over, making the most inroads and guiding India to a 336-run hammering of England, also marking their first win at Edgbaston. He eventually finished with six wickets, taking his total scalps to 10 from the match. Akash Deep's figures of 10/187 now stands as the best match figures by an Indian bowler in England. Bumrah, whose absence was most feared, features third in the list with 9/110 at Trent Bridge in 2021.

After the victory, Akash Deep was asked if he would take back the stumps, which he uprooted post the final wicket, and the ball with back home. The pacer with a heavy but happy heart responded "I want to dedicate this win to my sister" before revealing she was battling cancer, which was diagnosed two months ago. He also informed that she is doing well, before adding every time he held the ball it reminded him of her. “Behen yeh tumare liye hai (This is for you)," the pacer signed-off.