Dinesh Karthik Criticises Akash Deep, Siraj After India Falters on Day 4 at The Oval

Dinesh Karthik Criticises Akash Deep, Siraj After India’s Day 4 Struggles at The Oval.

Former India wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik didn’t mince words after India’s bowlers—particularly Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj—underwhelmed on Day 4 of the final Test against England at The Oval. With the series on the line, India’s bowling unit faltered, allowing England to seize the initiative.

With Jasprit Bumrah rested and Shardul Thakur benched, India relied on the pace trio of Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna. However, Akash Deep, returning from injury, failed to make an impact, finishing the day with disappointing figures of 1 for 85 in 20 overs. His lack of rhythm and sharpness was evident, and he appeared physically uncomfortable after taking a blow to the shin. At one point, captain Shubman Gill was overheard asking if the pacer had taken an injection—raising doubts about his match readiness.

Speaking on Cricbuzz, Karthik noted a clear dip in Akash’s performance following his ten-wicket haul at Edgbaston.

“Akash Deep could’ve bowled much better. What he showed at Edgbaston was high quality, but he tapered off for some reason. He bowled too often down the leg-side and didn’t seem to find his rhythm,” said Karthik.

The veteran broadcaster also criticised Mohammed Siraj for a costly fielding lapse. Siraj stepped on the boundary rope while taking a catch of Harry Brook, who was then on 19. Brook went on to score a game-changing 111 off 98 balls.

“That was a seminal moment in the game,” said Karthik. “Siraj had just walked onto the field. Maybe he wasn’t expecting the ball to come to him. The team had already started celebrating, but once it was confirmed he’d stepped on the rope, the momentum visibly shifted.”

Karthik also broke down Siraj’s misjudgment from a technical standpoint:

“When chasing a catch, you need to quickly get under the ball and set a wide, stable base. Siraj kept taking short steps and was moving sideways while catching it, which suggests he didn’t judge the ball well.”

Despite acknowledging the efforts of Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, Karthik stressed that lapses in execution—both with the ball and in the field—cost India dearly. With the final day looming, India will be banking on a quick turnaround from both Siraj and Akash Deep to keep their hopes of a series-levelling win alive.