Vidarbha pacer to turn out against Mumbai in Ranji game ahead of tour.
Umesh Yadav loves tattoos. An artwork of Lord Shiva, on his left bicep, catches the eye because our man’s wearing a sleeveless training jersey. “I am a big follower of Lord Shiva,” the pacer said on Wednesday. “He was aggressive and I think I connect to him. That’s why I have his image inked on my body. It helps me be aggressive on the field. As a fast bowler, you have to be fiery,” added the Vidarbha pacer who is gearing up for the South Africa tour.
Like his other Team India mates, Yadav isn’t training specifically for the marquee series. “I am not thinking too much. I will just focus on line and length. The conditions will be different; the wickets, too. Mentally, I will be ready to bowl a length that could be three-quarters and around the off stump.
I am sure about this. That’s my plan. Maintaining a wicket-to-wicket line is very important in Test cricket,” Yadav said on the eve of his team’s Ranji Trophy match against Mumbai.
Yadav last played a Test in November 2012 before a stress fracture kept forced him to take a break. His last appearance in ODI cricket was against the West Indies in July. “Right now, I am bowling well and feeling fine. I have already played two Ranji Trophy matches. I am getting better and feeling better,” he said.
Yadav was happy to have met senior pro Zaheer Khan at the Wankhede on match-eve. “We caught up after a long time. Zaheer bhai asked me about my fitness and advised me to concentrate on line and length,” Yadav said.
Yadav, who was planning to skip the Mumbai-Vidarbha game, is now keen to make the most of this opportunity before boarding the plane to South Africa. “For every fast bowler, match practice is very important. The wickets in South Africa will offer a lot of bounce. And this match against Mumbai will help me prepare for the tour because the Wankhede pitch aids seamers,” he signed off.
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