Fast bowler Umesh Yadav has been drafted into the Indian ODI squad for the first two matches against West Indies as a replacement for injured Shardul Thakur.
Shardul, who made his Test debut in Hyderabad, could only bowl 10 deliveries and had to hobble out of the field owing to a groin injury. He has now been ruled out of the ODI squad as well. Umesh, on the other hand, was spectacular with the ball and picked up 10 wickets in the match, thus becoming only the third Indian bowler to achieve this feat in India.
Umesh has not been a regular in India's ODI setup and played his last match against England at Lord's in the second game of the three-match series. However, he has been in impressive form with the red ball and this opportunity could not have come at a more opportune time for him.
'This was the standout performance'
"Outstanding. To bowl like that in both innings was a great effort on his part, and showed the kind of fitness level he has, to keep running in and bowling 140 clicks throughout the game ... picking wickets, importantly, not just completing overs. I think this was the standout performance in his career, and something he can build on," captain Virat Kohli said about Umesh after his 10-wicket haul in Hyderabad.
The fast bowler has echoed the sentiments of R Ashwin and Virat Kohli and has said that the SG balls makes it very difficult for bowlers to come back later in the day and pick up wickets or contain the batsmen as the seam wears out very fast.
"So (with SG) all you can do is to bowl one spot but then you will realise that nothing is happening even off the pitch nor is it swinging. So when middle and lower order comes in they know that ball has become soft and it doesn't come at a pace and batting becomes easier," the Vidarbha-bowler said after the match.
This ODI call-up has come at the right time as he has been bowling with pace and accuracy and this series could well bolt him into contention for next year's World Cup.
