Patience, perseverance and pace – The Umesh Yadav way of cricket

The effort with which Umesh Yadav plied endlessly for a greater part of his Test career, hitting the deck and grunting on release, on tracks that left the likes of R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja rubbing their hands, remains.

Among the fabled battery of fast bowlers, which was India’s self-discovery of its trove under Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami made the ball talk at will, Ishant Sharma blended his freakishly-high release point with reverse-swing, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar broke the batter down with his unerring consistency and natural swing.

Umesh could swing the ball away from the right-hander and wielded a bit of reverse swing too, but was not nearly as menacing as the names above. All he had to call for inclusion into the coveted club was effort. That was enough.

“You cannot escape that. You can be called in to bowl 20 overs in a day, at times even more if you are bowling well. So, the more you bowl, your body gets more used to it,” Umesh says.

He emerged from Vidarbha with the promise of being one of India’s quickest quicks, yet the trials of international cricket made for a rough entry onto the big stage. His Test debut against the West Indies at home was largely impressive, but India really turned to him for the Australian tour of 2011/12. With a penchant for searing back-of-a-length deliveries spitting onto the batter Umesh was tailor-made for conditions down under.

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In four matches in the series, Umesh scalped 14 wickets at an average of nearly 40. The record does not look brighter through his later tours either. In 10 Tests overall, Umesh picked 31 wickets at 44.22. Through his 57-match Test career, Umesh has played just one match in South Africa, another venue suiting his style. It is bizarre for a talent poised to be India’s fastest.

Yet for the same bowler, to come back and average 25.22 on home soil, in conditions where the tweakers rule the roost, warrants a scratch of the head at first. On deeper inspection, it is a testament to Umesh’s ability to wait for his turn, remould, and work in tandem with his partners.

“You know if the bowler from one end is not giving runs, the one from the other end is well placed to pounce on that. You have to stick to bowling well together to create those chances. It’s just like a batting partnership.

“I am happy that if not me, my teammate is getting wickets. As a team, that is more important. At times, it will be the spinners, and at times the pacers. All you can do is stick to the length and keep the batters under pressure. That is what I do when I do not get wickets,” Umesh says.

Somewhere between persisting with hard lengths, tirelessly shooting the ball, and learning to hold one end, Umesh carved a niche in India’s pace unit. While it may not have elevated him to poster boy status, a luxury well-earned by a Bumrah or a Shami, Umesh quietly helped himself to a career haul of 170 wickets.

As he castes about through another trough in his career, Umesh is back to where it all started – Vidarbha, falling back on the same effort that has held him for long.

Umesh has not been in the scheme of things following a poor outing in India’s World Test Championship final against Australia last year. Chosen over Ashwin in the favourable England conditions, Umesh returned just two wickets in the match.

But his 27 wickets in seven games in the Ranji Trophy this season have been a case worth at least a pondering if not a nod.

“See, I cannot say when or how I will come back. That is purely up to the management and the selectors in terms of what they are looking for and what they expect from which player. It depends on them,” Umesh says.

At 36, sticking to convention might call for the door to be closed on a fast bowler; Umesh forces a second thought here again. In the semifinal against Vidarbha, Umesh bowled extended spells, lasting as many as eight overs.

“What clicks for me, is my body. I know the more I bowl, the fitter I will stay. My body is fit, I played seven games this season, it’s for everyone to see. I definitely feel I have the ability,” Umesh says.

Casting an influence with his trademark hit-the-deck deliveries, Umesh has been a central piece as Vidarbha sits one step away from its third Ranji Trophy crown.

“Our batting and bowling units have stepped up when needed. We’re clicking as a unit. The confidence and morale are quite high in our camp heading into the final. So, we are 100 percent sure we’ll do well,” Umesh says.

The few who attended the semifinal at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur were loud enough with their chants of “Umesh, Umesh”. For once, the local boy, who is used to slipping under the radar, was front and centre, and for good measure.