Amid all the criticism on Rohit Sharma’s captaincy following the 1-3 drubbing in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, India right-arm pacer Akash Deep heaped praise on the opener’s leadership style, saying he hasn’t seen a captain like him till now. Rohit faced continuous flak for his monotonous captaincy and underwhelming batting on the Australia tour. After missing the series opener in Perth due to the birth of his second child, Rohit failed to score beyond 10 runs in the five innings before opting to rest in the fifth Test at Sydney Cricket Ground. He accumulated only 31 runs in the series and came under public scrutiny for his substandard outings.

Speaking exclusively to IANS, Akash hailed Rohit’s captaincy and coach Gautam Gambhir’s approach and said, “I feel very lucky that I got the opportunity to start under Rohit (Sharma). The way he leads and keeps things simple, I haven’t seen a captain like him so far. Gambhir sir, the way he motivates and gives freedom – those things really help players mentally.”

Akash, who had an impressive Test debut against England last year, played two Tests against Australia. In the Gabba Test, he picked three wickets across two innings and claimed just two scalps in the Melbourne Test.

Reflecting on his experience from his first Australia tour, the 28-year-old pacer said, “I learned a lot, because before this I had played Test cricket in Indian conditions where bowling wasn’t as crucial. In Australia, as a fast bowler, I learned a lot which will help my game both mentally and physically. Even when our bodies were tired in those conditions, our mindset was to push ourselves because the team needed a long spell from us.”

He further insists on improving his game, admitting that he is not satisfied with his performance on his maiden Australia tour. “If I become satisfied, the chances of improvement will be less. I feel that there are still areas where I can improve, and I am actively trying to do so.

“It was my first tour to Australia, so I didn’t have the experience of those conditions to know what else I could add to my bowling. I think I need to improve my skills further in reading the pitch and batsmen and understanding the conditions,” he added.

Akash missed the final Test against Australia as head Gautam Gambhir said he was struggling with back issues.

Updating on his injury, the pacer said everything is fine with him, and he will resume his training after a two-week rest. “I’m resting right now, there’s no injury. I’ve been playing Test cricket for a long time, so my body needs rest, and rest is all good. I’ve got two weeks of rest, and then I’ll start my training,” said Akash.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)