“You might not even know the kind of skill you possess” - Akash Deep reveals Gautam Gambhir’s message

Indian seamer Akash Deep, who replaced rested Jasprit Bumrah in the ongoing Birmingham Test, has revealed the head coach Gautam Gambhir’s message, which motivated him to do exceedingly well as he returned with the figures of 4/88 in the first innings as India took a 180-run lead.

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Interestingly, Akash can be seen having constant chats with Gambhir and the bowling coach Morne Morkel in the net sessions. Speaking at the post-day press conference, Akash stated that Gambhir has been constantly sharing his experience and giving him a lot of confidence.

"He was sharing his experience, and as a coach, the kind of confidence a player needs—he has given me that ever since I joined the team. That very confidence reflected in my performance during the match. When you know that your coach is backing you so strongly and speaking to you in a way that builds your belief, it automatically gives you inner confidence, which then shows on the field," Akash Deep said in the post-day press conference.

Furthermore, Akash asserted that Gambhir always says positive things that he is unaware of at the moment. Moreover, he added that he felt it was very important for a cricketer like him to hear such words, which can drive his confidence up.

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"He always says positive things. He tells me, 'You might not even know the kind of skill you possess, the talent in your hands.' That kind of motivation is very important for a cricketer. Honestly, sometimes we’re not even able to read ourselves properly. But when someone with that much experience says something like that about you, your confidence naturally goes up," he added.

At stumps on Day 3, India are leading by 244 runs with their second innings score reading 64/1 in 13 overs. KL Rahul and Karun Nair are batting at the crease

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