Tensions Rise Between Akash Deep and Ben Duckett at The Oval Test

LONDON, England – The fifth Test between India and England at The Oval saw rising tensions on August 1, 2025, as Akash Deep‘s aggressive bowling sparked an altercation with Ben Duckett. Deep, who had previously dismissed Duckett three times in as many matches, displayed both talent and attitude on Day 2.

Akash Deep began the match strongly, troubling Duckett with his new ball. However, Duckett flipped the script in the fourth over, reverse-flicking Deep for a six, which sparked a series of aggressive shots. He went on to hit Deep for three fours in the next over, pressing his advantage. India stayed committed to Deep, and their patience paid off when Duckett attempted a reverse sweep and was caught out in the 13th over.

Following his wicket, Akash Deep celebrated with a loud roar and a fist bump, but then did something unusual. Rather than continuing the celebration with his teammates, he turned to Duckett, placing his arms around the England batsman’s shoulders and smiling as he said something to him. This unexpected gesture raised eyebrows, especially given the recent tension between the two players.

Cricters Dinesh Karthik and Mike Atherton acknowledged Duckett’s calmness during the exchange, noting that it could have led to further conflict. However, it was KL Rahul‘s intervention that diffused the situation. He approached Akash Deep and tapped him on the shoulder, signaling him to let it go. Following this, Deep ended his conversation with Duckett and rejoined his teammates.

Earlier, India resumed their innings at 204/6 but was bowled out for 224, losing their last four wickets for just 20 runs. Notably, Gus Atkinson‘s stellar performance saw him take three of those wickets, marking a triumphant return to Test cricket with a five-for.