Umesh Yadav 2.0
Resurrection is in the works and speedster Umesh Yadav is now bowling like a force of nature.
With a new grip, where he holds the ball deeper inside his fingers and palm, the ball seems to be following his intent.
Now the ball swings deliciously both ways. Yadav announced his return to the Indian team with his second-ball dismissal of South African opener Aiden Markram in the Pune Test - a classic inswinger that moved just enough from outside the off stump to rap the batsman plumb in front of middle-and-leg stump.
Yadav's signature outswinger that shattered Faf du Plessis's off stump in the Ranchi Test was perhaps the ball of the series. Delivered from close to the stumps, the ball swung tantalizingly enough from the middle-and-off stump to evade the outstretched bat of du Plessis and knock down the off stump. On his way back, the Proteas captain shrugged his head in sheer disbelief.
A batsman's torment doesn't end there, he constantly has to watch out for the vicious bouncer that threatens to explode on impact like a Molotov cocktail.
At the Ranchi Test, opener Dean Elgar was felled by one such wicked bouncer. And earlier in the game, Quinton de Kock had perished to another snorter - a ball delivered with barest of shoulder movement by Yadav but it stealthily climbed on the batsman, taking an edge of his glove to the keeper.
Yadav always had speed, now he is gradually acquiring that ever so elusive accuracy. The demolition job of the Bangladesh batsmen (5 for 53) in the last innings of the Kolkata test eloquently showcases his new found confidence and control.
In 2019, Yadav has played four Tests, finishing with 23 wickets at an average of 13.65 and a strike rate of 23.1. What's even more staggering is the fact that in 6 out of these 8 innings, Yadav has got his team a breakthrough in his very first spell.
The transformation seems like a dream sequence borrowed from a movie, especially in light of the first half of 2019, which wasn't a pretty picture for the 32-year-old fast bowler.
The rhythm had tragically disappeared and it showed where it mattered the most - the wicket column. The IPL stint was predictably forgettable with just 8 wickets in 11 outings, and then the World Cup snub made it even worse.
Disappointed and disillusioned, Umesh Yadav chose to rebuild his career instead of wallowing in self pity. He returned to the Vidarbha Cricket Academy to train with his mentor Subroto Banerjee.
For the son of a miner, hard work comes naturally to Yadav and the relentless training at the academy, coupled with domestic matches, helped him regain the two intangibles of fast bowling - rhythm and length.
Yadav was now ready and hungry to reclaim his place in India XI. And the opportunity came in the second Test against South Africa in Pune. Yadav finished the match with 6 for 59 and repeatedly proved a scourge to the top order batsmen.
A close scrutiny shows the Nagpur pacer has acquired maturity and often plots a batsman's dismissal. And that notorious lack of control that often sent the ball way down the leg side seems to have been stemmed.
In last two years, Yadav may have turned up for India in only 9 out of 23 Tests the side has played but the figures of 43 wickets at an ave of 17.25 and strike rate of 30 shows the bowler has made an impressive learning curve.
India seems to have discovered a new breakthrough bowler in Umesh Yadav.
With a new grip, where he holds the ball deeper inside his fingers and palm, the ball seems to be following his intent.
Now the ball swings deliciously both ways. Yadav announced his return to the Indian team with his second-ball dismissal of South African opener Aiden Markram in the Pune Test - a classic inswinger that moved just enough from outside the off stump to rap the batsman plumb in front of middle-and-leg stump.
Yadav's signature outswinger that shattered Faf du Plessis's off stump in the Ranchi Test was perhaps the ball of the series. Delivered from close to the stumps, the ball swung tantalizingly enough from the middle-and-off stump to evade the outstretched bat of du Plessis and knock down the off stump. On his way back, the Proteas captain shrugged his head in sheer disbelief.
A batsman's torment doesn't end there, he constantly has to watch out for the vicious bouncer that threatens to explode on impact like a Molotov cocktail.
At the Ranchi Test, opener Dean Elgar was felled by one such wicked bouncer. And earlier in the game, Quinton de Kock had perished to another snorter - a ball delivered with barest of shoulder movement by Yadav but it stealthily climbed on the batsman, taking an edge of his glove to the keeper.
Yadav always had speed, now he is gradually acquiring that ever so elusive accuracy. The demolition job of the Bangladesh batsmen (5 for 53) in the last innings of the Kolkata test eloquently showcases his new found confidence and control.
In 2019, Yadav has played four Tests, finishing with 23 wickets at an average of 13.65 and a strike rate of 23.1. What's even more staggering is the fact that in 6 out of these 8 innings, Yadav has got his team a breakthrough in his very first spell.
The transformation seems like a dream sequence borrowed from a movie, especially in light of the first half of 2019, which wasn't a pretty picture for the 32-year-old fast bowler.
The rhythm had tragically disappeared and it showed where it mattered the most - the wicket column. The IPL stint was predictably forgettable with just 8 wickets in 11 outings, and then the World Cup snub made it even worse.
Disappointed and disillusioned, Umesh Yadav chose to rebuild his career instead of wallowing in self pity. He returned to the Vidarbha Cricket Academy to train with his mentor Subroto Banerjee.
For the son of a miner, hard work comes naturally to Yadav and the relentless training at the academy, coupled with domestic matches, helped him regain the two intangibles of fast bowling - rhythm and length.
Yadav was now ready and hungry to reclaim his place in India XI. And the opportunity came in the second Test against South Africa in Pune. Yadav finished the match with 6 for 59 and repeatedly proved a scourge to the top order batsmen.
A close scrutiny shows the Nagpur pacer has acquired maturity and often plots a batsman's dismissal. And that notorious lack of control that often sent the ball way down the leg side seems to have been stemmed.
In last two years, Yadav may have turned up for India in only 9 out of 23 Tests the side has played but the figures of 43 wickets at an ave of 17.25 and strike rate of 30 shows the bowler has made an impressive learning curve.
India seems to have discovered a new breakthrough bowler in Umesh Yadav.
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