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Travis Head is the leading run-scorer of the Test series. Can Akash Deep help stop his juggernaut?
Travis Head (L) and Akash Deep.
Indian quick Akash Deep pledged not to let Travis Head settle on the crease for too long in the Boxing Day Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which begins on Thursday (December 26) in Melbourne. Akash denied revealing India’s exact plans but said they knew the Australian left-hander had ‘particular’ struggles against bouncers.
Head is the highest run-scorer of the series, with 409 runs in five innings at an average of 81.80 with a scintillating strike rate of 94.24. India didn’t try enough short balls against him when he scored his first century of the series in Adelaide — perhaps due to the short square boundaries — but the batter countered that plan brilliantly during his 152 (160) at the Gabba.
“Jo plan hai wo nahi bata sakte, wo bhi tayyar ho jayenge (We can’t reveal our plans, as they’ll prepare accordingly),” Akash Deep told reporters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday. “As fast bowlers, we will stick to the same deliveries and maintain discipline in our bowling. We will bowl from both over and around the wicket, assess the pitch and conditions, and plan accordingly.”
“I think Travis Head, in particular, struggles against short balls. We won’t let him settle at the crease. We’ll target specific areas and hope to force him into mistakes, which will create chances for us,” he added.
The Gabba Test was Akash’s first in Australia. He was quite unlucky in the first innings, beating the bat countless times but ending with just one wicket. The Bengal pacer found better fortune on the final day, taking two scalps for 28 runs in five overs. Though an experienced domestic seamer, Akash admitted adjusting to Australian conditions had been a ‘bit difficult’ for him.
“It is a bit difficult. I have played most of my cricket in India. We can bowl shorter lengths there, but here it is a bit of a challenge,” he explained. “Sometimes you think you are bowling really well. Jo bhi wicket ya condition ho, as a fast bowler discipline mein rehna kaafi important hota hai” (Whatever the conditions or wickets are, as a fast bowler, you need to maintain discipline).
- Location :
Melbourne, Australia
