India vs England 4th Test: Indian head coach Rahul Dravid got a bit emotional while narrating Akash Deep's tough journey before presenting him his debut Test cap on the opening day of the fourth Test against England.

India and England are engaged in the fourth Test of the five-match series at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi which commenced on Friday, February 23.

ALSO READ: IND vs ENG 4th Test Live Score, Day 1

India, who already are 2-1 ahead in the series, were off to a promising start to the fourth Test on the back of Akash Deep's bowling brilliance.

The 27-year-old Akash Deep put up a show with the ball in his very first match as he dismissed Ben Duckett (11), Ollie Pope (0), and Zak Crawley (42) to leave England in a bothering situation.

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In a video posted by BCCI, Dravid told Akash Deep: “Akash your journey started from a place named Baddi, which is roughly 200 km from here. You have faced a lot of hardhsips in this journey. You have worked hard. You have seen a lots of ups and downs.”

“You on your own, moved from Baddi to Delhi to play cricket. You were inspired by the 2007 T20 World Cup win. You stayed alone in Delhi and put in the efforts. Then you moved to Kolkata from Delhi.

“You played domestic cricket and put up impressive performances. Your journey has taken you to Ranchi, which is 200km closer to your village and you are going to get your India cap here today.

“It is a special feeling for you as your mother is also here along with some of your family members. It is unfortunate that your father and elder brother are no more. But we are sure that they are blessing you from wherever they are.

“Our entire team is wishing you. Please enjoy this moment and this match. You have worked hard to reach here this has been your dream. We are happy that we are here with you to fulfill this dream. Enjoy this five days and your entire career. With great joy, I present to you India Test Cap No, 313.”

Akash Deep, who has had a tough journey so far before making it to the top level, expressed his feelings on fulfilling his dream in front of his family and was keen to make it count in the all-important match.

“It was my dream to play Test cricket for India and I am happy that I am fulfilling that dream somewhere close to my village. I am delighted that my family is here and nothing can get bigger than this. At the same time it’s a big responsibility. It’s an important match, so I am focusing more on that," he said.

Akash Deep, who hails from Sasaram, Bihar lost his father in 2015 and, six months later, his elder brother.

A few years later during the Covid-19 wave in India, Akash Deep, who was in the Indian Premier League bubble, lost his sister-in-law as well.

Talking about the match, the visitors made a brilliant match despite losing early wickets as Joe Root and Ben Foakes bailed them out of trouble when they were struggling at 112/5.

The duo added 86 runs for the six wickets and took the team to 198/5 at the tea break.