Despite being showered with a lot of praise in the build up to the Test series down under, Rookie India pacer Umesh Yadav is...
Despite being showered with a lot of praise in the build up to the Test series down under, Rookie India pacer Umesh Yadav is...u00a0
India fast bowler Umesh Yadav is excited that mentor Subroto Banerjee will be visiting Australia ahead of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in three days time, but knows that he can't seek advice from him when the heat is on in the middle.
India pacer Umesh Yadav
"Obviously having him (Subroto Banerjee) here would be good for me, but I would have to do whatever I can on the field. Him being here won't make any difference to my bowling on the field. I have to do whatever I can by myself out there -- when the pressure is on," Yadav told MiD DAY at the Canberra International Airport ahead of the Indian team's departure to Melbourne for theu00a0 first Test that begins on Boxing Day yesterday.
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell recently praised the Vidarbha pacer, but Yadav is not flattered just yet. "It's always encouraging when people say nice things about you, but I don't want to get carried away. I would prefer if they talk highly about me after this Test series," he said.
Yadav, who bowled only three overs on the final day of the second warm-up tie against CA Chairman's XI, is happy with his preparation going into the Test series. "I bowled a little within myself during the warm-ups... was trying to preserve myself for the real test. But I was happy with whatever little I bowled, it was important before the Test series. It was good to bowl alongside Zaheer Khan. I still want to learn a lot about fast bowling from him," he said.
The recent strip at the MCG used for a Big Bash League game had unprecedented bounce and carry.u00a0 The talk doing the rounds is that the same strip would be used for the opening Test. But Yadav is doubtful whether the curator will prepare a pitch with that much bounce. "Even if they are saying that it would have so much bounce, I doubt it. I think they will mostly prepare a pitch that will help both batsmen and bowlers for a period of five daysu00a0-- a good Test match wicket," said the 24-year-old.
When asked what he felt about his hero Glenn McGrath's recent rant that 'India's bowling attack was weak', Yadav said: "I am not concerned about that. However, I hope to meet him (McGrath) at some stage of the series. He is my hero and will always remain that."
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