Akash Deep has frequently experienced the opposite side of the coin. The India pacer has only participated in eight games since his debut in India last year, which was ironically against England. And he hasn't committed many errors during this period. But frankly, not because of anything he did wrong. The Indian cricket squad follows the selection procedure, which gives preference to those higher in the pecking order. In spite of what Akash said, people who have played ahead of him are more likely to have opportunities. This implies that, at best, Akash will be India's third seamer after Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, or, in the case of the Leeds Test, even behind Prasidh Krishna. Akash enters the picture when one of them is rested or given a break, and India selects three frontline seamers.

However, considering the piece of history he carried with him during his first five-wicket haul against England on the fifth day of the Edgbaston Test, how can you keep him out of India's Playing XI? In Bumrah's absence, Akash stood out by first taking four wickets in the first innings before adding five more in the second to practically knock England out of the game. Akash's outstanding performance in the second innings especially has elevated him to the select group of the famous Michael Holding. How? We'll respond to your inquiry right away. The first time a bowler has ever taken four of England's top five batsmen in a Test match innings since Holding did it in 1976 was when he dismissed Harry Brook LBW for 23. In spite of nearly 50 years, Akash has achieved what some of the greatest figures in cricket history have failed to do.

The tale of how Akash Deep rose to become India's top bowler on display

As the left-handed opener played on, Akash's first wicket was that of Ben Duckett, England's centurion from the Headingley match. Shortly after, Akash let out a ripper to see the back of the deadly Joe Root. On Day 5, when the game finally started, he continued where he left off the previous night. Ollie Pope kept playing on his deliveries, which were erratic after he pitched and out of his control. Brook experienced the same fate; the DRS was of no assistance to him as he was caught LBW and had no opportunity to hit the ball. Four of England's top five wickets were taken by a single bowler alone, without any catches.

Since 1976, there have been so many renowned names in the world of cricket. Legendary players like Dale Steyn, Glenn McGrath, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Allan Donald, and Wasim Akram have left a legacy for the next 20 years, if not longer. Of all of them, Akash Deep can now boast about this accomplishment. For the BBC Test Match Special, one of the best cricket statisticians, Andy Zaltzman, confirmed this data.

Furthermore, there's plenty more to look forward to. India still needs to take the last two wickets, and perhaps he can surpass his nine-wicket total from the game?

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