Only five Indian pacers have taken more Test wickets than Umesh Yadav (142 in 45 matches) but the Vidarbha pacer is still unlikely to make the playing XI on a seamer-friendly pitch for the first Test here against New Zealand starting tomorrow.

It is an embarrassment of riches for Indian cricket and it is hard to imagine leaving out a world-class pacer by choice to accommodate a spinner for an overseas Test.