In his international career, Umesh Yadav has faced many ups and downs due to his inconsistent performances. Recently, after making a return in Test cricket, Umesh has hugely impressed with his consistent bowling performances. The right-arm pacer has revealed how he has improved his bowling skills.
Umesh Yadav made his international debut in 2010. Since then, he has already played 45 Tests, 75 ODIs and seven T20Is where he has taken 142, 106 and nine wickets respectively. Despite serving the Indian national cricket team for a long time, he has faced many ins and outs from the national team due to his inconsistent form. Though he is now improving with his growing up experiences, there is a very tight competition in the Indian fast bowling line-up.
In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav recently returned to the Test squad after around one year. This time he has hugely impressed and has done something extraordinary which never happened in India in Past. The 32-year-old fast bowler is regularly taking at least two wickets in a Test innings. Even he also equalled the record of most consecutive three-wicket hauls in Test innings in India.
Since October 2019, Umesh Yadav has taken 23 wickets in four Tests, most Test wickets by an Indian in this period. Even since the beginning of 2018, he has taken most Test wickets at home among the Indian bowlers. The right-arm pacer is very consistent in his line and length.
Tweaking my bowling grip helped immensely – Umesh Yadav
Talking about his incredible improvement with the ball in hand, Umesh Yadav has credited to change his bowling grip.
During a recent conversation with the Indian opener Rohit Sharma, Yadav claimed, “Tweaking my bowling grip helped immensely. My grip was different earlier so one or two balls will swing while a couple of them would either get deflected from the legs or run down the leg side for boundaries as byes, so it was difficult to control in this grip.
“So I spoke to my coaches and also while discussing within ourselves, I felt when I hold the ball properly, I have more control and chances of moving the ball. So my outswinger became consistent and I could also throw in a few inswingers after making that change.”
I created angles in my bowling on the basis of my wrist position – Ishant Sharma
On the other hand, the tall Indian right-arm pacer Ishant Sharma is also in very good form. He won the Player of the Series award in the recently concluded home Test series against Bangladesh.
Moreover, he also won the Player of the Match award after the superb bowling performances during the historic day/night pink-ball Test match against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens (Kolkata). He took a total of nine wickets (5/22 and 4/56) in that game.
Talking about his improvement, Ishant commented, “I created angles in my bowling on the basis of my wrist position. If I come round the wicket to the left-hander, it will be more difficult for the batsman. Before that, I used to bowl but I couldn’t get the edge because it would land on stumps and would go out. Now I bowl at the stumps, so it becomes difficult for the batsman.”