New Delhi, Aug 10: The Oval Test will be remembered as one of India’s most nerve-wracking triumphs, a nail-biting six-run victory that sealed a 2-2 draw in the inaugural Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
For pacer Akash Deep, the deciding day was a test of belief, composure, and clinical execution under pressure.
Speaking to Boria Majumdar on Revsportz, Akash recalled the mindset heading into the final day. “The wicket on the second day offered little help and no movement, but we knew England is the kind of side where if you break a partnership and get one or two wickets, they tend to lose more in clusters.
Our plan was simple — hit the right areas, build pressure, and force mistakes. Eventually, it worked,” he said.The tension peaked when England, chasing 374, reached 301/3. “Yes, there was pressure, but that made us more aggressive. The crowd played a huge role — they switched from backing England to roaring for us, and that energy kept us going even when our bodies were exhausted,” Akash added.The match itself was a see-saw battle. Put into bat first, India slipped to 153/6 before a vital 58-run stand between Karun Nair (57) and Washington Sundar (26) lifted them to 224. Gus Atkinson (5/61) and Josh Tongue (3/57) led England’s charge.
In reply, despite a brisk 92-run opening stand from Zak Crawley (64) and Ben Duckett (43), and a fifty from Harry Brook (53), England folded for 247, courtesy of four-wicket hauls from Mohammed Siraj (4/86) and Prasidh Krishna (4/62), taking a slender 23-run lead.
India’s second innings was powered by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s classy 118, a counter-attacking 66 from Akash Deep, and quick-fire fifties from Ravindra Jadeja (53) and Sundar (53). (Agencies)
