India’s second Test win against England in Edgbaston had many heroes – Shubman Gill, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj to name a few. The ‘Player of the Match’ award, however, went to captain Shubman Gill, who slammed a double ton and century to boost India’s cause. Akash Deep was the hero with the ball as he picked 10 wickets. According to Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep would have been good choice for the ‘Player of the Match’ award. 

“This might be a big statement to make, but Akash Deep should have been awarded the Player of the match. Shubman Gill batted beautifully, no amount of praise would be enough. Gill has created history, records are there to be made and he’s re-written it, no doubt about it,” Ashwin said on “Ash Ki Baat.” 

“But all said and done, Akash Deep’s six-fer in the second innings and his four wickets in the first innings. Because of those four wickets, Siraj was able to get the six wickets in the first innings. Akash Deep was delivering the ball from different angles with the same wrist position. I don’t have a problem with the man of the match. I don’t buy the theory about heroes. In an IPL match, there are super fours, super sixes, super 12s, fastest delivery you give all these awards. You can give them in Tests as well, bowler of the match and batsman of the match.”

Meanwhile, ahead of the third Test against England at Lord’s, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak expressed his thoughts on workload management of pacers, saying that it is not only applicable to pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, but also to every bowlers since their issues are different.

After a brilliant bowling performance at Edgbaston by Mohammed Siraj, who took a total of seven wickets, including a first innings six-wicket haul and Akash Deep, who registered India’s second ten-wicket haul and best bowling figures in England, Team India would be excited by the return of Bumrah, as confirmed by skipper Shubman Gill after winning second Test, for the prestigious Lord’s fixture and the very idea of fielding Siraj, Bumrah and Akash together.

Speaking during the pre-match presser, Kotak said, “Workload management is not applicable only to Bumrah. Every bowler’s fitness and every bowler’s issues are different. We cannot think that we are thinking the same for one person, and he is thinking the same for everyone. But I think there was enough rest in between (between the first and second Test). After this match, the turnaround is less.”

With ANI inputs