Aakash Chopra On Siraj And Akash Deep Place Vs NZ: Former Indian cricketer turned broadcaster Aakash Chopra questions whether pacer-bowler Akash Deep should be in the Indian Cricket Team playing XI for the second Test against New Zealand in the place of Mohammed Siraj.
The first India vs New Zealand Test, played in Bengaluru’s M Chinnasamy Stadium, ended in disaster for the home team. Not only did they get out for a meagre score of 46 in the first inning, but then they went on to lose a Test to the Kiwis for the first time on home soil since 1988.
After getting bundled for 46 in the first inning, India then conceded 402 runs when they came out to bowl. Except for Jasprit Bumrah, all the bowlers were quite costly in the second inning. Siraj, being one of only two pacers on a pitch where the New Zealand pacers had wreaked havoc, took two wickets in 18 overs with an economy of 4.67.
And while he did bowl economically in the fourth inning, giving away only 16 runs in seven overs, the game was all but over by that point. The Hyderabad native has not found a good form for a long time.
He was only decent in the couple of games he played in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Then, in three T20Is and three ODIs against Sri Lanka, Mohammed Siraj only took four wickets in six games. In the two tests against Bangladesh, he only managed to take four wickets.
Another Indian pacer who has come into the limelight this year has been Akash Deep. The right-arm fast-bowler from Bihar made his Indian Cricket Team debut in red-ball cricket against England in Ranchi earlier this year. He then played in two Test matches against Bangladesh. While he has taken only eight wickets in three Tests so far, Deep has looked good in his limited time with the Men in Blue.
Aakash Chopra On Siraj And Akash Deep Place Vs NZ
In a recent preview for the second Test posted on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra highlighted how Siraj has been out of form for some time now and how bringing in Akash Deep into the XI is a viable option.
“This is also a good topic—Mohammad Siraj or Akash Deep. Akash Deep has done well whenever he has played. He has played very few matches, one in Ranchi and then in Chennai and Kanpur. When we have spoken about (KL) Rahul’s numbers, it’s important that we talk about Siraj’s numbers as well,” he said.
Chopra then focused on how Siraj’s recent Test record has been middling at best, saying,
“If we see his entire career, he has an average of 30 as a bowler. No great, but 80 wickets in 30 matches—not too bad, actually. It’s good if it’s more than three wickets per game, but it’s okay as he plays in India as well. In the last 10 matches, he has taken 26 wickets in 19 innings. It’s a bit of a problem now.”
In the seven Test matches played at home this year, Mohammed Siraj has taken only 12 wickets at an average of 42.83.
India will face New Zealand in the second Test of the three-match series from October 24 to 28 in Pune’s Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium.
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