3Photo© hindustantimes.comHow Virat Kohli gifted Akash Deep his bat that saved Gabba Test for India
"Who wouldn't want it, Bhaiyya?". It was all that a shy Akash Deep could blurt out when Virat Kohli asked if he would like to own one of his bats that ultimately scripted a rare happy memory in an otherwise devastating tour of Australia for Team India.
The newest pace bowling workhorse in the Indian dressing room bowled nearly 88 overs (87.5 overs) for his five wickets across the two Tests that he played in the five-match rubber. But it was his follow-on and eventually match-saving 31 at the Gabba that garnered attention. India, however, lost the series 1-3 to surrender the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
"Yes, that was Virat bhaiya's bat, the one with MRF logo, everyone knows," Akash Deep said, breaking into a chuckle during an exclusive interaction with PTI.