Kanpur: In six months, Akash Deep got to play two Tests and, in both matches, he has excelled. He bagged three wickets against England in April and two against Bangladesh in the first match of the ongoing two-Test series.

He wants to continue putting his best foot forward by bowling the right lengths and exploiting the Indian conditions well. Akash Deep’s struggle to make a mark is quite an interesting story and he feels that it was his hard work in the domestic circuit that is now paying rich dividends.

“I wasn’t apprehensive about my bowling when I got a chance to play for India in a Test match against England earlier this year as I had gone through the paces in the domestic circuit. It was like another match for me,” he said on Wednesday ahead of the second Test between India and Bangladesh starting Friday here.

“I was focused on my game plan from the very first delivery and was sure to get wickets, if I bowl on the right spot. Even in the match against Bangladesh last week in Chennai I kept bowling on the off stumps consistently to leave Bangladesh batters struggling,” he said.

However, he said that as a player, one needs to understand himself and know his strengths. “We need to understand what we can add to the bowling. It’s just simple stuff and there’s no added pressure about going to Australia,” he said, making it clear that donning the India colours comes with a huge responsibility. “It is a huge responsibility to deliver the goods like the bowlers who have contributed for India before you.”

Akash Deep, who has taken 118 wickets in 33 first-class matches with an economy of 3.05, said he learnt a lot after joining Team India. “When I came to the team, I saw that legends like Rohit bhai and Virat bhai are at a different level in terms of dedication, and that’s when I realised that if they can do it, we also need to learn…”

“There was no question of any pressure on me as Rohit bhaiya made things simple for me and it did not feel that I was playing international cricket and not a domestic fixture,” said Akash.

Rohit was the most ‘sorted captain’ he had played under, he noted.

Shakib ‘fit’ for Kanpur

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe on Wednesday said Shakib Al Hasan was available for the second Test against India, downplaying concerns around his fitness owing to an injury that he picked up in the opening game.

Shakib had suffered a finger injury during the game in Chennai while facing India pacer Jasprit Bumrah. The second game is scheduled to start Friday. The 37-year-old spin all-rounder was introduced into the attack quite late and he bowled only 21 overs in two Indian innings.

“At this moment, I haven’t heard from my physio or from anyone. He is still eligible for selection,” Hathurusinghe said after the team’s first training session in Kanpur.

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON !