WATCH: Akash Deep’s pearler breaks Nitish Reddy’s defence

The young player Nitish Reddy was out for golden duck in the opening Duleep Trophy 2024 match, failing to open his tally. Reddy was unable to pick up on the pace and length of Pacer Akash Deep’s delivery, which proved to be decisive in the end. Soon after noon, India B was down five wickets as Akash took consecutive wickets of Rishabh Pant and Nitish.

In his first game, the 27-year-old was picked up a three-fer.and Indian captain Rohit Sharma had also been delighted by his efforts.

Notably, Akash Deep made his India debut against England earlier in the year in Ranchi, during which Jasprit Bumrah took a leave of absence to deal with his workload.

Even though players like Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Bumrah have already secured their spots, he is still included in India’s red-ball system. As backups for the first-choice talents, pacers like Akash, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, and Prasidh Krishna are being closely monitored by the team management. Akash’s outstanding performance versus India B has elevated his prospects.

What a Catch! & What a Ball!

moments of brilliance in balls

Shubman Gill pulls off a stunning catch to dismiss Rishabh Pant & then Akash Deep bowls a beauty to dismiss Nithish Kumar Reddy#DuleepTrophy | @IDFCFIRSTBank

Follow the match https://t.co/eQyu38Erb1 pic.twitter.com/80Cpgat3nF

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) September 5, 2024

When Washington Sundar ran out at the non-striker’s end, the pacer’s foresight was also helpful. With Washington located deep beyond his crease, Musheer Khan delivered a straight shot, and Akash was able to get his foot on the ball before it reached the stumps.

Also Read: Twitter Reactions: Axar Patel hits a brilliant knock to save India D’s terrible day, but he misses a century

India B finds themselves in a difficult situation following lunch. After the middle order broke down, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Yashasvi Jaiswal, their openers, failed to deliver. Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant scored nine and seven runs respectively, while Jaiswal showed flashes of brilliance but was removed after scoring thirty. The tally of Reddy and Sundar was not opened.