Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has praised Bengal spinner Akash Deep following his inclusion in the squad for the upcoming first Test against Bangladesh.

Sourav Ganguly highlighted that Akash Deep can bowl at high speeds like Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami.

Akash Deep took five wickets for India A in the second innings of the 2024 Duleep Trophy match against India B.

Notably, Akash also picked up four wickets in the first innings at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. He retained his place in the Test squad following his performance.

Akash Deep is a young and prominent fast bowler – Sourav Ganguly

Speaking at an event in Kolkata, Sourav Ganguly said that Akash Deep is an exceptional young fast bowler and added that he is someone to watch closely. Ganguly claimed that Akash can bowl at high speeds of 140 kmph, like Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami.

“Akash Deep is an exceptional young fast bowler. He runs, bowls fast and can bowl for long periods,” Ganguly was quoted as saying by PTI.

“He is in form, I have seen him play for Bengal for a long period of time, taking wickets. He will be as fast as Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami, reaching 140mph. He is a player to watch closely,” he added.

Akash Deep made his Test match debut against England in February this year. The right-arm fast bowler defeated Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope in the fourth Test match in Ranchi.

He was not included in the fifth and final Test of the series, where the Rohit Sharma-led team secured a 4-1 victory.

The 27-year-old has played 32 first-class matches. He has taken 116 wickets at an average of 22.86, including five five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket match.

I don’t see Bangladesh winning – Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly acknowledged that Bangladesh beat Pakistan in their recent Test series.

The 52-year-old said Bangladesh cannot beat India despite the confidence they have following the recent win. Ganguly added that Bangladesh will give India a tough competition.

“Going to Pakistan and beating them is never easy, so hats off to the (Bangladesh) players. But India will be a different case; India, whether at home or away, are a fantastic team with a very strong batting team,” Ganguly added.

“I don’t think Bangladesh will win; India will win the series. But India should expect good, tough cricket from Bangladesh because they come into the series with a lot of confidence after beating Pakistan in Pakistan,” he said.

The BCCI has also included Yash Dayal in the squad for the first Test against Bangladesh alongside Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj and Akash Deep.

Dayal has received his first call-up after his recent performances. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav will handle the spin duties.

The first Test match between India and Bangladesh will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, starting from September 19.

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