Akash Deep Becomes 2nd Indian In 21st Century To Score Half-Century As Nightwatchman
Akash Deep crossed the 50-run mark by scoring a boundary on the 70th ball of his innings. He has hammered nine fours so far after coming out to bat at No. 4.
Akash Deep replaced Jasprit Bumrah in India's playing XI for the fifth Test as a fast bowler, but in the red-ball match taking place at The Oval, he is making headlines for his batting. Akash Deep was sent to bat at No. 4 in the second innings, and after remaining not out on four runs from two balls on Friday, he completed his maiden half-century on the 70th ball of his innings on Saturday (August 2). He has hammered nine fours so far.
Akash Deep crossed the 50-run mark by hitting Gus Atkinson for a four on the third ball of the 38th over.
Akash Deep is only the second Indian nightwatchman to score a half-century in the 21st century. Amit Mishra managed to cross the 50-run mark twice.
He hammered 50 runs from 70 balls as a No. 3 batter against Bangladesh in the second innings of the Chattogram Test played from January 17 to 21 in 2010 and 84 against England in 2011.
During the second innings of the 2011 India-England Test played at The Oval from August 18 to 22 in 2011, Mishra scored 84 runs from 141 balls as a No. 5 batter in the second innings.
The record of the highest score by a nightwatchman for India in Tests is in the name of Syed Kirmani. Kirmani came out to bat at No. 5 for India in the first innings of the Mumbai Test played against the Australian team in November 1979 and scored an unbeaten 101 runs from 206 balls.
Kirmani played a total of 88 Tests for India from 1976 to 1986, and he used to bat majorly at the 7th, 8th, and 9th positions for India in Tests.
In the history of Test cricket, only one cricketer has managed to score a double century as a nightwatchman. During Australia's first innings of the Test match played against Bangladesh in Chattogram from April 16 to 20 in 2006, Jason Gillespie came out to bat at No. 3, and he remained unbeaten on 201 runs from 425 balls.
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