Akash Deep is currently a strong candidate to be included in India’s squad for the Borger-Gavaskar Trophy later this year after displaying promising early-career results in Test cricket. Akash made his Test debut during the England series earlier this year. The right-arm pacer is featured in the Indian playing XI for the ongoing Test match against Bangladesh in Kanpur. In this Test, the 27-year-old West Bengal pacer has already grabbed a couple of wickets.

Akash hit the deck hard, relished the bounce and swing, and troubled the Bangladesh batters right from the start. Akash seduced Zakir and got an edge in the ninth over. The ball sailed into the ravine, where Yashasvi Jaiswal, paying close attention, took a stunning catch to secure the breakthrough. With the new ball, he flourished once more and gave Bangladesh a sting in return by getting rid of Shadman.

He has been stepping up and showing impressive signs in the ongoing Test series to replace the injured Mohammed Shami, but it will be difficult for him to hold down a spot in the playing XI. In addition to praising Akash for an outstanding start to his Test career, former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey stated that India will want his services for the BGT later this year.

Akash has done a lot of bowling in domestic cricket. He understands what needs to be done. He also relies a lot on seam movement. You need that kind of bowler in Australia who can nip it around off the seam, Mhambrey told the media. It is going to be a five-match series against Australia, and the 52-year-old cricketer believes that India might have to rest the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and veteran Shami in a match or two, and that’s where Akash will be expected to play a bigger role in the bowling unit.

We are lucky to have someone like Bumrah who loves to play Test cricket. But Bumrah and Shami need to be rested in the middle of a long series. That’s when the strategic selection comes into play, he added. Meanwhile, talking about a left-arm pace option in the squad, Mhambrey feels that it’s too early for India to get Arshdeep Singh in the Test set-up. And he backed Yash Dayal to be added to the flight that flies to Australia.

I feel Arshdeep maybe needs a bit more time to grow with the red ball, but Dayal looks like someone who could hit the deck. First things first, you need bowlers who can hit the deck hard and derive seam movement in Australia. The Kookaburra balls are best to bowl within the first 30 overs. After that, the conditions became very flat, Mhambrey asserted.

With two days remaining in the severely weather-affected second Test between India and Bangladesh at Green Park, there was no play on Sunday for the second day in a row, and the game is moving towards a draw with two days left. Rain caused play to be stopped after just 35 overs of play on the first day, which saw Bangladesh end on 107/3. However, on Day 2, Saturday’s play was wiped out by heavy overnight rain and drizzle in the morning.

There was a clear sky, and a crowd of about 15,000 people eagerly awaited the start of the game on Sunday morning. But even after three inspections by the umpires, nothing changed before play was canceled for the day without a ball being bowled. Play was called off at 2:00 pm by umpires Chris Brown and Richard Kettleborough because they were not happy with the state of the field.

Fans, meanwhile, pointed the finger at the Green Park stadium’s subpar drainage system for the Test’s second straight day without play. It’s a very old stadium where even the routine facilities for fans are not available. The drainage system is almost broken and doesn’t function properly, said a spectator.

Given the volatile political situation in Bangladesh, security surrounding the Kanpur hotel, where the players are staying, is extremely tight in contrast to Chennai, where the first Test was played last week and India won by 280 runs. The Bangladeshi players believe they are not permitted to leave their rooms, where they have been sitting for the past two days.

In Chennai, I went all alone to visit a famous place. We were even allowed to order food from outside, but here things are different. We are not allowed to go outside our rooms, a senior Bangladesh Cricket Board official told the media.