Former England cricketer Michael Atherton criticized Indian pacer Akash Deep for sending him out to Ben Duckett on the second day of his fifth final Test in the oval (Friday, August 1st). Atherton was not impressed by Akash’s gesture of placing his arm around the English opening batter after rejecting him.
England got off to a fiery start after rejecting India at 224. Their openers attacked the bowlers from the start. The Indian Pacers struggled early on, but Akash Deep managed to break the partnership by removing Ben Duckett for 43 people.
After the breakthrough, Akash Deep congratulated him, then walked over to Duckett, resting his arm on his shoulder and saying something. The exchange did not appear to be offensive, but the gestures could encourage action from match umpires due to the non-contactness of the game.
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If the bowler had his arms around me – I’d have hated Michael Atherton.
Speaking about Sky Sports, Michael Atherton was critical of Akashé Deep’s gestures towards Ben Duckett after rejecting him. Atherton said he personally disliked such an approach from the bowler. He added that physical interactions should be addressed by match officials.
“I kept my arm around me after the bowler rejected me and I kept it out of the way,” Ateton said.
“In fact, that’s a serious point. Like I said, it seems conscientious, and I like to give cricketers the greatest leeway on the field because it’s an emotional and passionate game. I like to see them stuck.”
“I don’t like the referees in the match, but it’s a contactless sport and something like that would lead to problems.
“If Atel had let me out around me, I would have said, ‘I’m out of the way!”
Rabbi Shastri and Michael Atherton share their thoughts on the incident between Ben Duckett and Akash Deep 💭 pic.twitter.com/uyqzcx6ujl
– Sky Sports Cricket (@skycricket) August 2, 2025
Match referees will be forced to take action in Akashdeep – Ravi Shastri
In the same video, Rabbi Shastri also raised concerns about the physical gestures of the cricket field, especially at high pressure moments. He pointed out that Ben Duckett may not have responded, but another player could have escalated the situation.
“No, there’s no physical contact. What does that lead to? I mean, at that moment, Duckett might have been thinking something else,” Shastri said.
“Other player would have been doing something he regrets later, especially as he has a temperament and has observed millions of viewing around the world.
The fifth test between India and England was prepared evenly after 2 days
On the second day, the Indian team collapsed early in the morning. They added 20 more runs before being bowled out at 224. Karun Naia scored a top score at 57, while Sai Sudalsan tipped in on day 1 with 38. Gus Atkinson was a British bowler pick and finished with five wickets.
In response, England competed to 92 without loss, but momentum quickly moved towards India. Mohammed Siraj and Prashid Krishna each took four wickets and bundled England with 247. The hosts managed only a 23-run lead.
India started two innings with more intentions. KL Rahul and Sudharsan died early, but Yashasvi Jaiswal fought back with an undefeated 51 49 balls. India closed the day on 75/2 and held a 52-run lead towards the third day. Akash Deep remained undefeated alongside Jaiswal at Stumps.
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