Oval Test: Dinesh Karthik Slams Akash Deep, Siraj After India’s Day 4 Flop Show
Dinesh Karthik came down hard on India pacers Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj following a disappointing Day 4 performance against England at The Oval. With Jasprit Bumrah rested and Shardul Thakur left out, the onus was on India’s pace trio—Akash, Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna—but the bowling effort fell flat.
Akash, returning from injury, looked rusty and ineffective, finishing with figures of 1/85 in 20 overs. He also took a blow to the shin during the innings and was visibly struggling. Skipper Shubman Gill was overheard asking if Akash had taken an injection—hinting at concerns over his fitness.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Karthik said:
“Akash Deep didn’t bowl to his potential. He was excellent at Edgbaston, but since then, he’s looked off-colour. He bowled too often down leg and lacked control.” Karthik also criticised Siraj for a costly error in the field, when the pacer stepped on the boundary rope while attempting to catch Harry Brook on 19. Brook went on to score a momentum-shifting 111 off 98 balls.
“That moment really deflated the team. You could sense it,” Karthik said. “Siraj didn’t judge the ball well. You need to be balanced and under the ball when going for such catches—he wasn’t.” Despite both Siraj and Prasidh bowling with effort, Karthik felt the lapses in execution were telling. He stressed that with the final day remaining, India’s only chance lay in a strong start with the ball—something both bowlers would need to deliver.
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