Akash Deep celebrates the wicket of England’s Zak Crawley on the first day of the fourth IND vs ENG Test where he made his debut. (PTI Photo)

How good is Akash Deep? Shami-like nip-backer, Bumrah’s length, 140kph speed and one rare priceless quality

The television screen on the ground kept playing the wickets of Akash Deep on a loop. The bowler, standing at mid-on, restlessly waiting to grab the ball again, would gaze sideways towards the screen and soak in the moments. The spectators on the stands beside, to the left of the MS Dhoni Pavilion, would chant his name. Flashing a coy smile, he would wave back at them.

A hero was born – his first six overs yielded three England wickets, just an hour into his Test career. The hours that made the hour were hard; from cramming into a train to Kolkata, sweating countless hours in maidan cricket, before breaking through the Bengal team in 2019, then acquiring an IPL contract with RCB three years later and finally realising the dream of playing for his country in the longest format.