Experts say that India pacer’s dip in form has lot to do with lack of continuity in playing matches and he is expected to bounce back before South Africa tour
On the face of it, Umesh Yadav may not look to have any problem with his bowling. But, in the first two Tests against Sri Lanka in the current series, the 30-year-old Vidarbha pacer was lagging behind Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in Kolkata, and Ishant Sharma in Nagpur.
Yadav has taken five wickets in the two Tests series at an average of 35.40, the highest among all India bowlers, when fellow pacers have gone for far less runs per wicket – Bhuvneshwar 12.00, Ishant 16.00 and Shami 22.33.
Yadav has been a pale shadow of his form that he was in, in the 13-Test home season in 2016 of which he played 12 and took 30 wickets at an average of 36.67. The fiery spells like he did repeatedly gave last season were missing.
Perhaps, Yadav is erring in length, which he is working on. The fact that he is, of late, only playing in Tests and not in limited-overs, is affecting his rhythm. In 2016-17 season, he was playing the limited-overs to maintain his rhythm, which he has perhaps lost because of not being part of the limited-overs set up. He played only one ODI this season, due to the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, in Chennai against Australia and took four wickets. Thereafter, it has only been Test cricket for Yadav, who is one wicket short of becoming the 21st Indian to 100 Test wickets.
"Umesh needs to have the continuity. Once he gets a break, he becomes rusty. He is a very rhythm bowler," observed former India leg-spinner and now television commentator L Sivaramakrishnan, who has been following Indian cricket closely.
When India were involved in the limited-overs series recently, Yadav turned up for Vidarbha in two Ranji Trophy matches and bowled 67 overs combined.
Chandrakant Pandit, coach of Vidarbha for the current Ranji Trophy season, felt that Yadav was lacking match practice. Pandit said: "When he played here (for Vidarbha in Nagpur), he was lacking match practice. Coming from international level, he was not playing for a particular duration. I feel he has to work on length on a regular basis."
After the IPL followed by the Champions Trophy and the tour of the West Indies, Yadav has played in three Tests in Sri Lanka for six wickets, the lone ODI against Australia before the two Ranji matches and the current Test series against Sri Lanka, of which the third game begins on Saturday in New Delhi.
Subroto Banerjee, bowling coach of Vidarbha and who has been guiding Yadav since his younger days, said: "Sometimes, you have body fatigue. Umesh is our premier bowler. He played almost all the Tests last season and took a plenty of wickets. Sometimes it (not being amongst wickets) happens. Some bowlers go with less wickets. That does not mean he is not bowling well. They know it much better than you and me whether they are bowling well or not. He feels absolutely fine. At certain times, you lose rhythm. But it comes back soon. In the matches to come, he will be back among wickets."
Banerjee, former India fast bowler, said that it was "a matter of time before he starts turning things around". He said: "It is early to say he is not taking wickets. All of a sudden, he can be among wickets. He has the pace, he has the experience. He knows how to take wickets.
"He is a rhythm bowler. He does not get tired with his run up. The moment the run up is good, you keep going and things will fall in place. Sometimes, one tends to think of the end result, forgetting the process. I maintain that if the process is followed, the result will automically come in the end. Also, Umesh is coming up with new deliveries. You need to have some variation while playing at the higher level. And, Umesh keeps developing new things to his bowling."
Banerjee added that he was working with Umesh on certain areas and they will be of immense value when he tours South Africa shortly. "We are working on the areas to bowl in South Africa. Sometimes, when we see bounce, we tend to bowl very fast. But length is the key."
Yadav is in good hands with the Indian team. Bowling coach Bharat Arun feeds him with information and gives him a free hand, like he does with other bowlers. Arun does not alter down the bowlers' natural pace and gets them to be more effective with their abilities.
Like Banerjee said, it is only a matter of time before Yadav hits the right straps. And, his maiden tour of South Africa will be not be a bad place to get back his rhythm and wicket-taking abilities.
DID YOU KNOW?
Umesh Yadav has only one five-wicket haul in Tests, 5/93 against Australia in Perth in 2011-12
N-ZONE
99
No. of wickets Umesh Yadav has taken so far in his 36-Test career.
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 "Umesh Yadav")
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Yadav is in good hands with the Indian team. Bowling coach Bharat Arun feeds him with information and gives him a free hand, like he does with other bowlers. Arun does not alter down the bowlers' natural pace and gets them to be more effective with their abilities.)
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