"Tumko Bat Chahiye?": Akash Deep Recalls Chat With Virat Kohli Before Follow-On Saving Gabba Knock

"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.

When asked about the sequence of events which led to that moment, the Bengal speedster fondly said, "Bhaiyya (Kohli) ne khud mujhse pucha 'Tumko bat chahiye?' (Virat bhaiyya asked me, do you need a bat?)."

"Maine bola 'Haan bhaiyya, aapka bat kaun nahi lena chahega duniya mein?' Then he presented it to me," Akash Deep recalled.

The 28-year-old admitted that it was impossible for him to be upfront with a senior player of Kohli's stature and ask for his most precious equipment.

"I have been there with bhaiyya (Kohli) for some time now (they are teammates in Royal Challengers Bengaluru). But you always have that thing at the back of your mind, whether it is the right thing to ask for a bat from someone of Virat bhaiyya's stature.

"Especially during match time, when he is focussed and in his zone, you don't want to disturb him but bhaiyya, on his own, gave me the bat," he was a trifle chuffed about that bit.

Asked to revisit his last-wicket stand of 47 with Jasprit Bumrah in