Will Umesh be in starting XI against Australia in Tests?
Umesh Yadav should be lauded for grabbing the limited opportunities, he has received in Test cricket in 2018. Against West Indies in the recently concluded Hyderabad Test, Umesh picked 10 wickets in the match to book his name in the record books. The fast bowler also gave a solid account of himself in Tests against Afghanistan and England. Here we decode his situation.
Umesh has been consistent in limited opportunities
Umesh impressed with match figures of 10/133 in the second Test against West Indies. On Indian pitches where pacers often find it difficult, Umesh impressed one and all with his standout performance. Prior to that against England, he played the first Test and took three scalps. In the lone Test against Afghanistan he ended with match figures of 4/44. These performances display Umesh's consistency.
Starting XI: Despite being terrific, Umesh likely to miss out
Umesh will definitely be on the flight to Australia for the Test series. But the issue is he might not get a single match there. This is indeed a peculiar situation. The Indian pace department, at the moment, in Tests is so packed with performers that Umesh is likely to miss out. The same thing happened with him during South Africa and England series.
Here is a look at India's bowling situation
The situation for India is complex. Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are regular starters and will lead the attack in Australia. These three were exceptional in South Africa. Further, Ishant and JB did a solid job against England. This means the in-form duo of Mohammed Shami and Umesh would have to sit out.
Umesh is unlucky as pace battery is solid
One may feel Umesh should start against the Aussies in the 2018-19 series, but it is a tight call. Whom does the management leave out? Bhuvi, despite bowling slower than others, can extract swing. He also accuracy under his belt. He contributes with the bat as well. Ishant and Bumrah are the first two picks naturally.
