"Some keyboard warriors and mediapersons were asking why KL Rahul gave Akash Deep the strike" - Aakash Chopra lauds seamer's knock in 5th Test vs ENG

Former India player Aakash Chopra has lauded Akash Deep for proving his credentials with the bat on Day 3 of the fifth Test against England. He recalled KL Rahul being criticized for giving Deep the strike before Stumps the last time he came as a nightwatchman in India's second innings of the Lord's Test.

Deep scored 66 runs off 94 balls as India posted 396 runs in their second innings at The Oval on Saturday, August 2. England ended the day at 50/1 in pursuit of a 374-run target.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener praised Deep for proving that the team management was right in sending him as the nightwatchman.

"He was not a nightwatchman. He came as a very important man. I remember some keyboard warriors and mediapersons were asking why KL Rahul gave Akash Deep the strike, and you were thinking that he did the job he came for. Akash Deep was sent. He is no mug with the bat," he said.

Chopra noted that Deep even posed for the camera after some of the shots he played.

"You try to send someone who can bat a little, and how well he batted. He scored a half-century, went above 60, and the way he stood after playing some shots in the end, tu kheech meri photo (you click my photo), one got a feeling like that. Akash Deep batted extremely well and scored runs," he observed.

Akash Deep was sent to bat at the fall of Sai Sudharsan's wicket just before Stumps on Day 2. He struck a boundary before the close of play and hit 11 more fours on the third morning before being dismissed by Jamie Overton.

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"Everyone has forgotten that this is his first England tour" - Aakash Chopra lauds Yashasvi Jaiswal's hundred in ENG vs IND 2025 5th Test

Yashasvi Jaiswal's century helped India set a challenging target for England. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra praised Yashasvi Jaiswal for scoring a century in India's second innings, highlighting that the youngster had faced criticism for slightly underwhelming performances despite this being his first England tour.

"Yashasvi Jaiswal, yashasvi bhava. Interestingly enough, he has started and ended this series with centuries and has also scored two half-centuries in between, scored more than 400 runs, and the knives are still out. Everyone has forgotten that this is his first England tour and that he has just started playing, although he has scored a lot of runs very quickly," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that Jaiswal would finish his career as one of the best-ever players.

"He likes England a lot. We are saying that a 400-plus series wasn't enjoyable. What more can my brother do? Of course, he could have played slightly better and could have held more catches, but I think he will finish as one of the finest to have played the game. I have great confidence in him. He scored a century. You were expecting a counterattacking knock, and that's exactly what our boy has done," Chopra observed.

Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 118 runs off 164 balls with the help of 14 fours and two sixes. He added 107 runs for the third wicket with Akash Deep, allowing the latter to be the dominant partner.