"If you have doubts..."- Akash Deep shares valuable advice he got from Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni earlier in his career

Akash Deep picked 13 wickets in three games during ENG vs IND test series.

Indian pacer Akash Deep has opened up on the valuable advice he received from legends MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli to succeed in his cricket career. During the recent five-match test series between England and India, the seamer grabbed a lot of limelight with his incredible performances.

The right-arm pacer picked 13 wickets across three games in the series. In the second test match at Edgbaston, Birmingham, he clinched 10 wickets to become the second Indian bowler after Chetan Sharma to register a 10-wicket haul in a test match in England.

Moreover, Akash also played a brilliant innings with the bat in The Oval test, scoring a half-century in the second innings as a night-watchman. With 28 wickets in 10 games at an average of 35.79, the 28-year-old pacer has made an impressive start to his test career.

Practice is what gives you confidence: Akash Deep reveals MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli’s advice

During an interview with Aaj Tak, Akash revealed that Kohli and Dhoni advised him to focus on his practice to improve his performance and build confidence.

“Virat always says that if you have doubts about something, practice it so much that you never have any questions. Dhoni also says that practice is what gives you confidence. Cricket is a game of confidence, and you will only have belief if you work hard,” he said.

Speaking about The Oval test, Akash revealed why India did not choose a new ball on day five of the match. He said that the old ball showed a lot of movement; hence, India decided to continue with it.

“The final match was very important. We were 2-1 down, so we had to stay fully focused. There was a point when the wicket offered no help, and we thought we might lose. But then the ball started moving, and with the crowd’s support, we believed we could win,” he said.

“Big legends with so much experience were in the dressing room. Since the ball was moving a lot and it was an old ball, scoring wasn’t easy because the ball didn’t race off the bat. Our plan was to try and take wickets using that movement. If that didn’t work, we would have gone for the new ball,” Akash added.

In the fifth test, the Shuman Gill & Co. outplayed England by just six runs to level the five-match series 2-2. Mohammed Siraj captured a five-wicket haul in the second innings as India bowled out England for 367 runs against a 374-run target.

The right-arm pacer dismissed three England batters on the final day, when the hosts needed 35 more runs for victory with four wickets left. Later, Siraj was adjudged Player of the Match.

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