Akash Deep is the toast of the Indian cricket fans following a match-winning performance against England that saw him pick 10 wickets during the 2nd Test held at Edgbaston (Birmingham). The right-arm pacer, replacing the rested Jasprit Bumrah in India’s eleven, repaid the faith shown by captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir delivering a memorable performance that culminated in a record 336-run win for the tourists. Akash’s rise from obscurity to stardom is well documented now with the Bihar-born cricketer overcoming personal tragedies and financial hardships to fulfil his dream of becoming an India player. Akash moved to Bengal to further his career where he impressed the coaches with his ‘exceptional talent’ to break into the state’s red-ball team. “I was part of the Bengal team, and Akash was amongst the probables. When I saw him, I thought he was absolute gold. There’s no question about it,” former Bengal coach Arun Lal was quoted as saying by Times Now. “He had pace, he had stamina, he had strength, and most important thing I found in this young man was that he never complained about anything,” he added. Lal then recalled the wretched conditions in which Akash stayed with fellow cricketers. Such was the state of affairs that the former India batter feared someone could catch a disease and die by living there. “He (Akash) used to live in this dormitory of CAB, which was a hellhole. Now, I’m sure it’s better, but he never once said that, you know, sir, that you should put the food there or the food is not, you know, in the canteen, and I am having this problem,” Lal said. “Not once did I hear any complaint in three years, four years. It was unbelievable. I was aghast when I went and saw the dormitory. You know, it was unbearable. It was a bloody hellhole. I thought people would die of disease there,” he added. Akash made his Test debut during the home series against England last year and made an instant impact with a stunning opening spell that saw him knock down three top-order batters including Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope in Ranchi.