India pacer Akash Deep opened up about the now infamous send-off he gave to England opener Ben Duckett during the fifth & final Oval Test. The southpaw, as he always does, took on the pacer when he came onto bowl in his first spell. The England opener also succeeded in hitting a flurry of boundaries. However, Akash Deep had the last laugh as he dismissed Duckett and also gave him a personal send-off.
Opening up on the controversy involving the England opener, the pacer said that he told him he won't be the only one to hit, and he would hit too. Akash Deep's send-off of putting an arm around Duckett at The Oval was not well received by several of the experts.
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"On a cricket field, you need to keep a cool head. I told Duckett, 'You won't be the only one hitting; I will hit too. Sometimes you miss, and I hit."
Later, Akash Deep stated that the England opener had told him that he would not be able to dismiss him, and whatever he said to Duckett was in response.
"It was quite a good experience. Every pace bowler wants to play in England. Although the wickets were not as we had expected, we still put our heart and soul into every match to end the hard-fought series on even terms. The series was a great learning experience for me."
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Akash Deep rates oval fifty higher than the 10-wicket haul
The pacer had a fantastic series against England, which he capped off with a stunning 50 at The Oval. Walking in as a nightwatchman, the pacer saw the end of the day's play on Day three, and went on to score fifty the next day. He rates that superb half-century higher than the 10-wicket haul he took in the second Test.
"Taking ten wickets individually in a match (Edgbaston, which India won) is quite magnificent, but scoring a half-century for the team was more important to me. While I was working on my half-century, the only thing on my mind was not to get out and to keep playing," he added.
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Currently, the Bengal pacer is enjoying some much-needed rest with his family and friends. He was also seen celebrating Raksha Bandhan with his sisters.
