Umesh Yadav said he is not tensed about his chances of making it to the playing XI for the WTC final against New Zealand in England next month from June 18 at Southampton. The right-arm pacer, who last played Test cricket in December 2020, against Australia, before injuring himself said he is keeping himself motivated in training.
Usually, considering they are fit, the Indian side has fielded the pace-bowling trio of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah. In the last 11 Tests they have played together, this particular unit has been vastly successful, bagging 149 wickets. Hence, they are likely to feature in the WTC final again if are three of them all fit.
Umesh Yadav: Being In XI Or Non-Inclusion In XI Is Another Part Of The Game
Umesh Yadav, however, said players aren’t too concerned about the selection as it the job of the team management. The World Test Championship starts in less than one month from now. India will face New Zealand in a bid to avenge their World Cup semi-final loss from two years ago as the teams attempt to win the first-ever World Test Championship title.
Over the years, India’s fast bowling unit has marvelled wherever they’ve played in and what better time for it to sizzle once more in what promises to be one of India’s high-octane Tests of all time.
“Being in the XI or not being included is another part of the game. You play some, you miss some. But I have kept backing myself and also motivate myself during training so that my mind and body stay positive… That helps me feel strong. It’s just about keeping yourself fit with a positive mindset, which is in your control,” Umesh Yadav said in a chat with The Telegraph.
The 33-year-old further added that several things have to be taken into account while selecting personnel.
Umesh Yadav: Conditions, Situations And Who Is In Form In Recent Tests And At The Nets Determine Final XI
Umesh Yadav, along with Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, had to leave the tour Down Under mid-way through the Test series because of injuries. While Jasprit Bumrah recovered in time for the home Test series against England, Mohammed Shami will don the whites for the first time since that tour.
“As I would say, conditions, situations, and who’s bowling well in matches as well as at the nets determine the final XI. Besides, that’s the job of the team management and honestly, we are never really tense regarding our chances,” Umesh Yadav added.
Umesh Yadav, 33, who was a part of the Delhi Capitals Squad for IPL 2021 but didn’t play a single game, has 148 Test wickets to his name in 48 matches at an average of 30.54.
Of course, the quartet of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Umesh Yadav were instrumental in India winning its first-ever series on Australian soil in 2018 but now with the addition of Mohammed Siraj who can win a Test on his own makes this bowling attack potentially the best ever in the history of Indian cricket.
In fact, nobody could have imagined that India could win a Test series in Australia in 2020 without Ishant Sharma(ruled out before the series started), Mohammed Shami, and Umesh Yadav (both came back midway after getting injured). Jasprit Bumrah too didn’t play all the four matches on the tour.
Mohammed Siraj may be the least experienced among the five pacers but he has shown that he has got the pace of Umesh Yadav, the guile of Mohammed Shami, and the temperament of Jasprit Bumrah (to be a leader of a pace attack without much international experience).
Provided he can spend enough time with the experienced quartet, who knows he may last as long as Ishant Sharma (who has played over 100 Tests now) has.