Ind vs Eng 2nd Test: Akash Deep reveals emotional reason for dedicating special performance to his sister

Akash Deep (Pic: X/@VVSLaxman281)

Team India registered a scintillating victory by 336 runs in the second Test match against England. Pacer Akash Deep was one of the star players who contributed to India's victory apart from the likes of Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj.

After bagging four wickets by conceding 88 runs in 20 overs in England's first innings, the best was yet to come. Later in the second essay, the pacer claimed six wickets for 99 runs in 21.1 overs.

Dwelling on his stunning performance, the 28-year-old pacer dedicated his performance to his sister, who has been diagnosed with cancer and has been dealing with it for the last two months.

"Every time I picked up the ball, her thoughts and picture crossed my mind. This performance is dedicated to her. I want to tell her, "Sis, we are all with you," the Dehri-born said on Jio Hotstar in the post-match video.

"I have not spoken about this with anyone but two months back, my sister was diagnosed with cancer. She will be very happy with my performance and this will bring some smiles back," added an emotional Akash Deep.

The pacer also revealed the plans he had against England's two specialist batsmen, Joe Root and Harry Brook.

"My main aim was to hit the seam on hard lengths and let the ball move in. In the case of Joe Root, my aim was to bowl from wide off the crease and get it to shape away. In case of Harry Brook, I knew that he is committed on the backfoot and wanted to hit the seam hard and on fuller length, getting it to move in," he said.

Further adding, Akash said that he is not thinking about the game scheduled to be played at the Lord's Cricket Ground, popularly called the 'Home of Cricket'.

"I haven't thought about my game plan for Lord's. But it won't be very different from what it has been here. There would be days when it would work, and there would be days it won't work. Our job is to stick to our strengths and believe in our processes," added the pacer.

While Akash's performance stood out, skipper Shubman Gill was also a top performer for India. Gill, in both innings, registered scores of 269 and 161 runs, respectively.

The third Test match between India and England is scheduled to be played at Lord's Cricket Ground from July 10 to 14.

(With PTI Inputs)