India pacer, who impressed on debut, was bedridden for 3 weeks due to dengue; eyes selection for Bangladesh Tests

In a week's time, BCCI's selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, is all set to announce the India Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against Bangladesh, which will begin on September 19 in Chennai. The selectors will name the 15-member squad based on the performances in the Duleep Trophy, which will kick off on Thursday in Bengaluru and Anantapur. Akash Deep (centre) made his India debut in the England Test series earlier this year

One of the major headaches for the selectors will be picking the back-up seamers for the frontline combination of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, with Mohammed Shami yet to recover from his ankle surgery. Among the contenders will be Akash Deep, who made an impressive debut for India against England in the Ranchi Test match, finishing with 3 for 83.

However, the Bengal fast bowler, who eyes a spot in the India Test team for the Bangladesh series via the Duleep Trophy, had been out of action since the Bengal T20 League in June. Dengue fever had left him bedridden for three weeks until mid-July.

"I was on complete bed rest for those three weeks. When I came back to bowl, I realised the body takes time to get back into rhythm. You can do as much gym work as you want, but unless you bowl, those bowling muscles don't open up," he was quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

How did a chat with Mohammed Shami change Akash Deep's career?

The 27-year-old, who hails from Bihar, made his debut in professional cricket only in 2019 in a T20 match for Bengal, having impressed former state captain Manoj Tiwary a year before in a club match. Despite being left excited at his bowling prowess, he was soon left equally frustrated at his tendency to bowl "four good balls and two hit-me balls." But a conversation with veteran India fast bowler Mohammed Shami changed his career.

"He spoke to me about his issues with fitness, what he did to improve, how he came back from injuries," Akash says. "That chat gave me perspective. I used to bowl mid-130s, but after following his advice, I worked on my fitness and I realised slowly I could bowl long spells without being tired.

"In red-ball cricket, I've been focusing on consistency. How long can you land the ball on the same spot? Sometimes when there's nothing in the wicket, you can tire out. My focus has been on building my endurance to bowl long spells and remaining consistent because you need to keep up the pressure and not leak runs.

"As a fast bowler, I keep discussing with so many coaches. It's about building up to get wickets in Tests. The formula doesn't change, A good ball is a good ball at both club level and international level. My job is to keep hitting the five-to-seven metre mark, keep it there. The more you can bowl there, the more successful you will be."

Akash will play for Shubman Gill-led Team A for Duleep Trophy, who will be up against the B team at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday.

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