Gambhir gives lot of confidence to players, says Akash Deep

India pacer Akash Deep, who impressed on Day 3 of the second Test against England, said he focuses on discipline, staying ready for every match, and treating cricket as an opportunity. He credited coach Gautam Gambhir for boosting his confidence.

HYDERABAD: India pacer Akash Deep, who struck telling blows against England on the third day of the second Test at Birmingham, said he always felt that when the team needed him, he had to be ready for that.

“And whenever I get a chance, I try to play with that mindset,” Akash said in the media briefing after the third day’s play.

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“The way the wickets are and the batting line-up is, it is a little difficult. But as a bowler, it is in your hands to bowl in a discipline, to bowl in areas, to bowl on your plan. I feel that if we keep things simple, we go to the match with our plan and try to do it on our own, and then it is not that tough for us,” he explained.

“No matter what the condition is, how the wicket is, who the batsman is, it is easy for us. One day you will get a result from there, the other day you may not. But if we have our own plan, it is easy for us,” Akash said.

“As a coach (Gautam Gambhir) gave a lot of confidence to the players. Since I joined here, he has given me a lot of confidence. That confidence is what was reflected in the match. Motivation is very important as a cricketer,” he said. “If we are not able to read ourselves, maybe if someone has so much experience, if he talks about you, your confidence goes up,” he added,

“We (Akash and Siraj) were talking to each other that we have to keep pressure, we have to bowl in partnership, and when Siraj was bowling from there, it was easy for me as I could bowl openly and that was very important,” Akash said.

“I also thought that I am going to England, there would be seam, swing, I would get help, but I have been following their cricket for a few days, the ball is not getting seam movement, the ball is getting soft, it is getting difficult. But, I feel that as a bowling unit, we have only discipline in our hands, ) we can bowl there, we have not made any such ball in cricket that if we bowl from the old ball, it will get out, so I feel that we have only one thing in our hands that we will do our best,” he explained.

“This match is very important for us to win. So, I am not thinking about the third Test match at all. I believe that I have to put my energy into these two days,” Akash said. “I don’t know if I will play or not in the third Test. This is decided by the team. And, this is known a day before that I am going to play or not,” he said.

“But my preparation is such that I am going to play every match. And, I prepare in such a way that whenever I get a chance, I am ready. So, this mindset is easy for me,” he said. “We take cricket as an opportunity. If we take pressure, we will not be able to perform because you are playing for the country,” Akash said. “So, there can be no bigger opportunity than this for us. I never take the match as a pressure. I take it as an opportunity, as a responsibility,” he said.