Despite losing one half of their overnight partnership early in the morning, India amassed 376 runs in their first innings, thanks to Ravichandran Ashwin’s sixth century and Akash’s quick-fire contributions.
In response, Bangladesh faced an immediate setback in the first over, courtesy of a brilliant delivery from Jasprit Bumrah. Looking to recover from this early blow, Zakir Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto held their ground for seven overs until Akash turned the tide back to India just before lunch.
After conceding only one run in his first over, Akash came around the wicket and unleashed a perfect in-swinger on the first ball of the ninth over. Zakir attempted to defend it from outside the line but was deceived by the delivery, which crashed into the middle stump after beating his inside edge.
On the very next ball, new batter Mominul Haque was left stunned as a near-identical delivery resulted in back-to-back wickets for the Bengal pacer. This time, the ball deflected off Mominul’s pads and knocked the off stump out of the ground.
What a sight for a fast bowler!
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 20, 2024
Akash Deep rattles stumps twice, giving #TeamIndia a great start into the second innings.
Watch the two wickets here 👇👇#INDvBAN @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/TR8VznWlKU
As Akash showcased his domestic prowess on the international stage, head coach Gautam Gambhir and bowling coach Morne Morkel beamed with pride, prompting a flood of praise for the hardworking pacer across social media.