3 reasons why India must pick Akash Deep over Mukesh Kumar for 4th Test vs England

With Jasprit Bumrah rested, India face some tough selection calls ahead of the fourth Test against England, which will commence on Friday, February 23 in Ranchi.

The home side could briefly ponder playing an additional spinner, but they are likely to stick to their two-pacer strategy. Mohammed Siraj will be one of the two, leaving the other spot to be a shoot-out between Bengal teammates Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep.

India's squad for the fourth Test vs England: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), KS Bharat (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.

Mukesh was released from the squad for the third Test to play in a Ranji Trophy game for his state. He made the most of Eden Gardens conditions to pick up 10 wickets in the match and is perhaps the frontrunner to be picked for the Ranchi Test.

However, Akash Deep is a good bowler in his own right. And taking many factors into consideration, he could be a better pick to be Siraj's pace partner in the decisive clash.

Here are three reasons why India should pick Akash Deep over Mukesh Kumar for the fourth Test against England.

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#3 Akash Deep has extra pace and can hit a long ball

The biggest factor that sets Akash Deep apart from Mukesh Kumar is his extra pace. The 27-year-old is a tall bowler who hits the deck hard and hurries batters with slightly more speed and zip.

On a wicket like Ranchi, which is largely shrouded in mystery ahead of the fourth Test, India could use Akash Deep's attributes. Having a bowler who can ask different questions to the English batters is something India can benefit from, as opposed to fielding Mukesh, who is primarily a swing bowler who relies on help from the surface.

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#2 Mukesh Kumar has had an unimpressive start to his Test career

Mukesh Kumar usually offers control, but that hasn't been the case in Tests

Mukesh's primary skill is his accuracy, but his Test career so far hasn't been very impressive on that front. He has often lost his lines and lengths, perhaps while trying to bowl at a higher pace than he does in domestic cricket.

In three Tests so far, Mukesh has picked up just seven wickets at an average of 25.57. His economy rate has been close to four, and while he was decent on debut against the West Indies, his subsequent two appearances against South Africa and England have been massively disappointing.

In the last Test he played, in Visakhapatnam, Mukesh leaked runs throughout. He had an economy rate of 6.28 in the first innings and 5.2 in the second, with the English openers picking him off for regular boundaries on both sides of the wicket.

Ranji form is one thing, but international cricket is a different proposition altogether. And while Mukesh is a good bowler, he doesn't seem to be at the required level to play for India.

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#1 Akash Deep has been in good form lately

Akash Deep's call-up to the Indian Test side came on the back of his impressive performances for the A team against England Lions. He picked up 11 wickets in two first-class matches, including two four-fers, and also chipped in with a handy 31 in the second innings of the second game.

Akash Deep has been in good form lately, and incorporating him into the Test fold at this point in time could be a wise move. He has a lot going for him, with 104 wickets in 30 first-class matches at an average of 23.58 and an economy rate of 3.03.

Interestingly, Akash Deep has also hit a long ball. He has 28 fours and 32 sixes in first-class cricket, with a highest score of 53*. With India being rather weak in the batting department right now, some lower-order runs from the tall fast bowler could go a long way in their cause.