Surprised by this unexpected behaviour, Akash nodded eagerly and expressed his gratitude for the precious gift.
While handing over the bat, Virat said, “Take this, keep this bat.”
An overwhelmed Akash immediately took out a pen, asked for an autograph on the bat and hugged Virat.
“I will never play with that bat. It is a great gift from Virat bhaiya, and I will keep it as a memento,” an excited Aakash said timesofindia.com In an exclusive interview.
Aakash, 27, from Sasaram has been impressive so far in his brief Test career. He made his debut against England in Ranchi earlier this year and took three wickets in the match. In his second Test, Aakash once again performed well and took two wickets against Bangladesh.
timesofindia.com In an exclusive conversation with Aakash, he talked about the India-Bangladesh series, getting the bat from Virat Kohli, and his rapport with the captain. Rohit SharmaSharing the net Jasprit BumrahAnd much more.
This is your second Test series in Bangladesh after England. How has the experience been so far?
The experience so far has been great. I have learnt a lot. As a fast bowler you have to adapt to every situation and circumstance and that is how you learn. I decided that I will bowl the way I have been bowling; I did not want to experiment or make any changes. As a fast bowler we need to assess the situation and analyse the batsmen and that is what I do during the match. My focus is always on the batsman. I do not put extra burden on myself as it creates pressure. I just try to stick to the basics and focus on the team’s plans.
India is not a team that changes its plans according to the opposition. They play with the same plan against any opponent. India always dominates. It doesn’t matter if they are facing England, New Zealand, Australia or Bangladesh. We just want to go out and play cricket, no matter who we are playing against.
You took a wicket on a no ball in your debut match, but after that you took three wickets. Were you inspired by Rohit Sharma’s inspiration during that time?
I always say it is a matter of good fortune and luck to play under Rohit bhaiya. I consider myself lucky to play under him. He is a different kind of captain; I have never seen a captain like him. He is the best captain I have played under. He is a calm and composed person. He keeps things so simple and easy for every player, not just me. You will be surprised to see how a player of Rohit’s stature treats a young player like a friend and a brother.
How challenging is it for a bowler to make a comeback, especially after losing a wicket due to a no ball?
I didn’t feel bad at all when I took a wicket with a no ball. I felt even worse when Zak Crawley got out to Siraj for 19 after two overs. I felt bad because my no ball gave him a chance to score runs. But I was confident that I would get him out; I had some plans in mind. I finally got Crawley out. I knew I would get him out, and I was confident. When I got him out, I felt both relief and happiness.
Rohit bhaiya came forward and motivated me after that no ball. He said, ‘Move on, it happens.’ He told me to leave that no ball behind and move on. But as a bowler you don’t forget such incidents.
Can you share the story of receiving the bat from Virat Kohli?
Virat bhaiya gave the bat himself. He must have seen something in my batting. I didn’t ask for it; he came to me and asked, ‘Do you want a bat?’ Who wouldn’t want a bat from Virat bhaiya? He is a legend. I was very happy to hear him and I wanted that bat. He asked me what kind of bat I use while batting, and I just smiled – I had no words. Then he said, ‘Take this, keep this bat.’ I will never play with that bat; it is a big gift from Virat bhaiya, and I will keep it as a souvenir on my room wall. I also got his autograph on the bat.
You have replaced Shami in the team. Does replacing a senior player put extra pressure on you?
Responsibility- that is what I feel in the absence of an experienced bowler. He has done so much for the country, and it feels great to play in the place of such a great bowler. It is a great challenge to fulfil that role and perform, and I feel that responsibility. I want to repay the trust shown in me by the management, captain, seniors and coaches. I just want to follow the process, bowl in good areas and take wickets for my team.
You got the opportunity to share the nets with Bumrah. How was that experience?
I talk to him regularly and observe his bowling. He is totally different; God has made him different. I take a lot of tips from him and have learnt a lot. I have discussed ‘mindset’ with him and once asked him about the mindset while bowling to a particular batsman. He gave me valuable tips and answered my question.
He is a very knowledgeable person and it reflects in his bowling. His ability to read the batsman before bowling is amazing. He is a talented bowler and it is not easy to follow in his footsteps.
How did you develop the art of reading batsmen?
Every batsman plays in different zones. His mindset changes depending on when he plays, session to session and day to day. For example, a batsman may have an A mindset on the first day and a B mindset on the second day. As bowlers, we should keep an eye on this, analyse it and bowl accordingly, because he is also analysing us. After bowling him three or four overs, we start noticing his mistakes and then I adjust my variations accordingly.
In red-ball cricket, I always focus on getting the batsman out of his comfort zone. I don’t bowl in areas where he is comfortable; I try to make him uncomfortable and force him to make mistakes. This is what I have learnt in my career, especially in red-ball cricket, so far.
