Birmingham, July 7 (IANS) After playing a pivotal role in India winning a Test match at Edgbaston for the first time with a 336-run thrashing of England, fast bowler Akash Deep said making the team victorious gave him a proud feeling and it’s something he will never forget for the rest of his lifetime.

Akash took 6-99 as England, set a mammoth 608 runs to win, were dismissed for 271 on day five, giving India a famous series-levelling win. His match figures of 10-147 are now his best figures in a Test career worth eight matches.

“It’s a very proud moment. I can never forget this moment in my life. The biggest thing is that we won the match in which I took five wickets. So this is a very proud moment for me that I chipped in with my contribution to make my team win. I wouldn’t have been as happy with the first five wickets if this match had been a draw. So I’m very happy about that. I got everything I wanted,” said Akash in a video posted on bcci.tv. on Monday.

His fellow pacer and new ball partner Mohammed Siraj, who took 6-70 in the first innings, said the win at Edgbaston is now the third best cricket match he’s played for India. “This is the third best match of my life, because the first match was Gabba, the second was Lord’s, and this is the third. I can’t describe this feeling. It’s great that we made a comeback here.”

“To be honest, it was an important match in the series. As a player, it’s great to create history through the way we, Shubman and Akash performed. Whenever Akash was bowling, I used to stand at mid-off. I used to tell him not to think to take wickets all the time – just put it in one place and you’ll get the wickets. Like I said in the first innings, if he’s lucky, he’ll get five. But in second innings, next day, he got five wickets.”

Vice-captain Rishabh Pant, who hit a tempo defining 65 in India’s second innings, was relieved that the job which they failed to complete at Edgbaston in 2022 was now fulfilled here. “I think personally, it’s amazing. Last time when we came here, the task was incomplete at Edgbaston. This time, I’m so happy that we were able to achieve it.”

“One thing we always talk about, how we can learn as a team and defy whatever all we have done in the past. But bringing this team together and making it to a different level – that’s all we need.”

Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who hit fifties in both innings and chipped in with wickets, felt happy for Gill getting his first win as Test captain via making scores of 269 and 161. “It will be special for Shubman that we won our first match in Edgbaston. For Gill, as a captain and as a batter, I think it was a special match.”

“He played very well in both the innings. All in all, as a team, I would like to congratulate everyone. Everyone put in a good effort and we achieved a great victory on the ground,” he concluded.

–IANS

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