Cricketers of the Week - February 19th to February 25th
The internet will probably take a while before it moves on from India’s latest debacle against Australia at Pune – one of its biggest defeats in Test cricket and probably its most humiliating loss at home. On a turning track, India got a taste of its own medicine as it succumbed to a 333-run defeat and thus ended Virat Kohli’s fabulous undefeated streak in Tests as captain.
In another part of the world, New Zealand and South Africa are currently playing an exciting ODI series. Zimbabwe and Afghanistan are indulging in a tussle too with Afghanistan getting the better of the hosts so far.
As usual, there have been some fantastic performances and picking five, as clichéd as it may sound, has been extremely difficult. AB de Villiers misses out and so do Mitchell Starc and Matt Renshaw, despite their individual brilliance.
Zimbabwe’s Chris Mpofu and Afghanistan’s Gulbadin Naib also miss out, only barely, despite scintillating bowling performances. On that note, take a look at the five men left standing in the latest edition of the Cricketer of the Week segment.
#5 Umesh Yadav
Yadav was a shining light in an otherwise forgettable outing for the Indians in the first Test against Australia at Pune. In a sensational spell of fast bowling, Yadav picked up the wickets of Matthew Wade, Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon in the space of four overs.
He had also given India their first breakthrough earlier in the day by breaching the defence of David Warner after the visitors added an impressive 82 for the opening wicket. Yadav’s impressive figures of 12-3-32-4, in fact, didn’t do justice to the quality of his bowling that had venom, pace and aggression. He picked up two more wickets in Australia’s second innings to end the Test as the most successful fast bowler on an extremely spin-friendly track.