Akash Deep reveals he ignored Rahul Dravid’s message confirming India’s Test debut

Indian pacer Akash Deep waited years for his chance to play for the country, but when the moment finally arrived, he initially ignored the news confirming he would make his Test debut.

The fast bowler revealed that India head coach Rahul Dravid texted him a day before the Test to tell him he would be playing. But since Dravid’s number was not saved in his phone, Akash Deep assumed it was another of the many messages the players would receive before the match.

“I got a message from Mr. Rahul, ‘You are playing tomorrow.’ His number was not saved in my phone so I ignored the message,” said Akash Deep on Panchayat Aaj Tak Bihar.

However, uncertainty remained in him. He said he spent about 11-12 hours wondering if he was really making his debut in India.

“I was restless as I had doubts whether I was playing. When I checked the message again, I realized it was Mr. Rahul’s number. I called him and said sorry sir, your number was not saved so I missed the message,” he said.

Once Akash Deep got the confirmation, he looked at the opportunity differently. Rather than being overwhelmed by the opportunity, he saw the Test as a test of everything he had done throughout his cricketing journey.

“I was happy but I looked at it as an opportunity. I thought it was the biggest opportunity of my life. Whatever I did in 22-23 years, these five days were a test for it,” he said.

FROM VILLAGE CRICKET TO INDIA

Akash Deep’s journey to the Indian dressing room was far from conventional. Growing up in Sasaram, Bihar, he had no access to a proper cricket ground and had never even seen cricket with a leather ball before leaving home.

He originally played as a batsman but switched to bowling after moving out as cricket equipment was expensive. The decision ultimately changed the course of his career.

After moving to Delhi, he later shifted to Calcutta where he started playing club cricket. His progress was rapid and he soon moved into professional cricket before eventually representing Bengal and earning a call-up to India.

His Test debut also had a personal significance as it came Ranchi, relatively close to Bihar. His mother and other family members were able to travel and watch him play for India.

Akash Deep is also working on becoming a more useful contributor with the bat. He said Gautam Gambhir had encouraged him to develop that aspect of his game and that he wanted to contribute whenever India needed runs from the lower order.

“I can’t betray the thing that has given me everything. Bowling has given me everything in life, so I will always choose bowling. But whenever I get an opportunity to bat, I will take it,” he said.

Temper is now following the current World Test Championship cycle. He said he would immediately focus on the remaining seven matches before the finals, starting with the upcoming series against New Zealand.

For someone unfamiliar with leather-ball cricket, Akash Deep’s journey into the Indian Test team has been extraordinary. And before he could step onto the field for India, there was one last moment of uncertainty: he had to find out if the message from Rahul Dravid really told him he would play.

– The end

Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

18 Sep 2026 22:36 IST