Happy birthday Umesh Yadav: Top 3 deliveries by the fast bowler in Tests
Umesh Yadav is celebrating his 36th birthday today (October 25). The right-arm fast bowler continues to be an important member of the Indian Test team. He has represented the nation in 57 Test matches so far, where he has picked up 170 wickets.
Injury issues have troubled Umesh Yadav in his Test career, but he has bounced back stronger every time. The right-arm pacer from Vidarbha made his Test debut for India back in 2011 against West Indies in Delhi. His last Test appearance came in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia earlier this year.
In his 12-year career so far, Yadav has bowled 8,979 balls. It is quite challenging to pick the best three deliveries bowled by the star Indian fast bowler, but in this listicle, we will present to you three of his best balls in Test cricket.
#1 Umesh Yadav leaves Ed Cowan clueless at the MCG
Yadav traveled to Australia for his first overseas Test series in 2011/12. The Indian team management picked him in the playing XI for the Boxing Day Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The right-arm pacer impressed straightaway with a three-wicket haul in the first innings. In the second innings, Yadav dismissed David Warner bowled out for just five runs.
Warner's opening partner Ed Cowan struggled against Yadav. He was batting on eight runs off 16 balls when he decided to leave a good-length delivery from Yadav. The ball angled into the left-hander and hit his pads instead of traveling to the wicketkeeper.
The Indian team appealed for LBW and Cowan was adjudged out. Cowan could not believe that he lost his wicket in such an embarrassing fashion.
#2 Umesh Yadav's quick inswinger traps Nurul Hasan in front of his stumps
Yadav played for India in the away series against Bangladesh last year. While the conditions in Bangladesh help the spinners, Yadav managed to get some help from the conditions and finished with figures of 4/25 in the first innings of the second Test match.
One of his four victims was Nurul Hasan, who absolutely failed to read a quick inswinger from the Indian fast bowler. The ball pitched near the good-length area and hit his pads. The Indian team appealed for LBW, but the umpire turned them down because of height. Yadav and co. asked for a DRS and the decision was overturned.
#3 Umesh Yadav uproots Jonny Bairstow's leg-stump
In the second Test of the India vs England Test series 2016/17 hosted by Vizag, Yadav managed to take only one wicket, but it happened to be the prized scalp of Jonny Bairstow. The England batter frustrated the Indian bowlers with a 152-ball 53.
On the 153rd ball of his innings, Yadav beat him with his express pace. A full delivery close to the yorker length went past Bairstow and uprooted his leg-stump. It helped India break a 110-run partnership between Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes.
India eventually won the match by 246 runs to secure a 1-0 lead in that Test series. You can watch some of Yadav's best wickets in the above video.