ENG vs IND: This time, everyone is talking about Akash Deep in the Lord's Test. The statement he made after taking 10 wickets at Edgbaston broke the back of England's batsmen. Now the ground has changed, the conditions are different, but one thing is making Akshadeep the most dangerous - the slope of the Lord's. This ground has a slope of about 2.4 meters from the Nursery End to the Pavilion End, which gives a slight flow to the ball. This flow is like laying a trap for a bowler like Akash Deep.
His speciality is that he moves the ball on both sides. The way he trapped Ollie Pope and Harry Brook at Edgbaston was proof of his skill. Now the same skill will be more deadly at the Lord's. While bowling from the Pavilion End, his inswinger will quickly hit the pads or stumps of the right-handed batsman. The batsman will have to play; he cannot leave. A slight mistake and the wicket is in the air.
The weather at Lord's is often surrounded by clouds. In such a situation, Akshadeep's bowling will show even more impact. His high-arm action brings out extra bounce. He had made Joe Root and Ben Duckett's conditions worse with nagging lengths at Edgbaston. The slope of the Lord's will aid in more bounce, and the front foot game of England's batsmen can falter in front of this bounce.
One more thing that will be crucial is the Sasaram-born's bowling length. He bowls the ball on the good length area consistently. Even a little laxity will not work at Lord's. If the length is kept right on the slope, the batsman will have to think about every ball. And this is what Akash Deep wants. He also spoiled the game of the batsmen with his length at Edgbaston. Sometimes a slow ball, sometimes a short pitch bouncer, and such trickery will break the courage of the batsmen on the slope of Lord's.
His mental strength is also a big thing. It was not easy to play in place of Jasprit Bumrah, but he grabbed the opportunity. History pulls every bowler towards itself at Lord's, but this pull also creates pressure at times. Akash Deep doesn't care. He likes the challenge. He turns the psychological effect of the slope in his favour. He forces the batsmen to change their stance again and again.
Now let's talk about India's strategy. When Akash Deep bowls with Bumrah, England's top order will be tightened from two sides. Bumrah's late swing on one side, and Akash's seam movement along the slope on the other side. His outswinger will rise from the pavilion end. The inswinger will catch the slope and fall on the stumps. The batsman will be deceived. On top of that, there will be the workhorse Mohammed Siraj. The whole trio will become a headache for England.
England's confidence has been shaken by the defeat at Edgbaston. The slope of Lord's confuses the batsmen anyway. On top of that, there is now the added pressure of Akash Deep's tight bowling. This time, if England's top order lose wickets early, the match will slip out of hand. Even Stuart Broad has accepted that Akshadeep will make the ball talk along the slope. After Bumrah's return, this pair will become even more dangerous.
