Published 12:39 IST, October 25th 2019
Umesh Yadav: Top five bowling spells by the pacer over the years
Umesh Yadav who has rattled many batsmen with his lethal line and length celebrates his 32nd birthday today. Let's look at his top five bowling spells.
Umesh Yadav who has rattled many batsmen with his lethal line and length celebrates his 32nd birthday. Umesh was in fine form in the recently-concluded Test series against South Africa. He played only two Test matches but impressed in both the Test matches taking 11 wickets. Let us have a look at Yadav's top 5 bowling spells:
Top 5 bowling spells of Umesh Yadav:
6-88 and 4-45 vs West Indies at Hyderabad, 2018
Umesh’s 10-wicket haul in 2018 against the West Indies was key to India completing a 2-0 whitewash ahead of their tour to Australia Down Under. These figures remain the best bowling figures by a Vidarbha pacer in Test cricket. He took 6 wickets in the first innings. His second innings four-wicket haul ensured India had to chase only 72 runs for victory, which India won comprehensively by 10 wickets to spare.
5-93 vs Australia at Perth, 2012
Umesh’s first five-wicket haul in Test cricket is not remembered fondly as India lost that Test match by an innings and 37 runs. The visitors were bundled out for 161 after being put in to bat, with Australia scoring 369 in reply and. They would have managed more but for Umesh’s five-wicket haul that saw him snare both Ricky Ponting and Shaun Marsh cheaply.
4-32 vs Australia at Pune, 2017
Umesh's another great outing with the ball that was overshadowed by India’s batting woes. He took 4 wickets to lead the charge as India managed to dismiss Australia for just 260 in the first innings and put themselves in a good position to win the Test match. But batting collapses in the first and second innings for 105 and 107 respectively and Steve O’Keefe's amazing bowling on a rank turner ensured Australia won the match by a massive 333 runs.
4-41 vs West Indies at North Sound, 2016
India had posted a huge 566-8 declared in the first innings and they were already the favourites to win the Test. Umesh along with Mohammed Shami rattled the West Indies batting. Umesh's 4-41 was the pick of the spells in the first innings, prompting skipper Virat Kohli to make the home side follow on. He picked up another wicket in the second innings and Ashwin ended with 7-83 to ensure an India win by an innings and 92 runs.
4-70 vs Australia at Melbourne, 2011
The first Test of India’s tour Down Under in 2011 was a close contest that could have gone India’s way but for their batting let them down again, but Umesh put in a decent performance in the second innings that gave India some hope of winning the Test. Having dismissed India for 282 after posting 333, Australia could manage only 240 all out in the second innings. Umesh got rid of David Warner, Ed Cowan and Shaun Marsh but useful contributions from Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey meant India had one too many runs to score in the end. ​
Updated 20:34 IST, October 25th 2019