3 Indian Players for whom the second Test is vitally important

Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav gets limited opportunity to present his case

Umesh Yadav has figured in only 5 Test matches for India in the past one year. He has taken 13 wickets in those 5 matches. In home conditions, where India play just 2 seamers, Umesh Yadav loses out. In away series where the conditions suit Umesh Yadav, he becomes the 5th choice bowler after Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammad Shami.

As a result, Umesh Yadav gets very little opportunity and to his credit, he has done reasonably well in the limited outings he has got in the past.

In the only Test he played at Edgbaston, Umesh Yadav got 3 wickets. In the second innings, Kohli got it wrong by not introducing Umesh Yadav on the third morning when the conditions were conducive for fast bowling. When Umesh was finally brought into the attack after lunch, he took 2 wickets in 7 overs. But by that time, the game was beyond India’s reach.

On the basis of his performances in the first Test, Umesh should have been an automatic choice for the second Test at Lord’s. But the team management made a blunder in deciding to go with an extra spinner in Kuldeep Yadav. In one single bad move, the team management finished off the England tour for both the Yadavs- Umesh and Kuldeep.

In the Rajkot Test, Umesh Yadav managed just one wicket in 14 overs of bowling. The second Test would be one last chance for Umesh to be in the playing XI for a while. He should strike hard at Hyderabad to impress upon the selectors. He should strike early as he won’t be expected to bowl more than 6 overs in his first spell with the three spinners to follow. In Umesh Yadav’s favour, the overhead conditions in Hyderabad for the first two days of the Test match are expected to be partly cloudy.

Another factor in Umesh’s favour is that with this West Indies batting lineup, he should definitely get to bowl in both the innings. The same thing cannot be said of Rahane and Rahul when they come out to bat. They may get only one chance at the batting crease to prove themselves.

Like Rahul and Rahane, Umesh will definitely be on the plane to Australia. But a handful of wickets in the second Test at Hyderabad should keep him in the good books of the selectors. On the Australian tour, India will certainly come across pitches where the services of four fast bowlers are warranted. Umesh Yadav will get an opening in such a scenario. But for that to happen, Umesh should first make his presence felt in the second Test at Hyderabad.