Umesh Yadav — A chance to learn from Zaheer Khan for the youngster

Umesh Yadav (R) and Zaheer Khan

Finally, there is good news as far the Indian bowling attack is concerned. For the upcoming tour of South Africa, Umesh Yadav has made a comeback after a long spell out due to injuries.

In fact, it was expected that he would be chosen for the Test matches, but the management has imposed faith in his capabilities and he has been included in the ODI squad as well. His selection was imperative – keeping in view the recent poor performance of our regular bowlers, especially Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma and R Ashwin.

Another notable development is the inclusion of veteran Zaheer Khan, who was struggling for a comeback since quite a while now. In a bid to mark his place, he had recently attended a fitness camp in France along with Yuvraj.

He was able to shed out extra fat and was looking much slimmer. But his recent performances in the Ranji Trophy – 13 wickets with a good average of 19.84 – played the most vital role in his selection. Hopefully, his exposure and presence will further strengthen the Indian bowling attack – after all he has got 12 years of rich experience!

But Umesh Yadav, the 26 year old who plays for Vidarabha, is really very happy. For him, playing alongside Zaheer Khan is like a chance of a lifetime. Earlier, Yadav had praised the guidance and valuable tips provided by Zaheer Khan.

Umesh had expressed that Zaheer Khan has got a deep impact on the young Indian bowlers as he is able to guide them through the nitty gritties of pace bowling. Yadav also said no one else can execute reverse swing better than Zaheer Khan. Umesh emphasized that Zaheer Khan is like an adviser for the team, who is able to give his valuable opinion after assessing the strength and weakness of the opponents.

Now let us have a look at Umesh’s profile. Umesh Yadav is a right arm medium fast bowler with the pretty good bowling average of 32.50 in tests and 24 in ODIs. He has got a speed of 140kmph. He plays for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL. He is a very hard working, committed bowler and a keen learner.

In case he is able to maintain his line and length, he might prove to be the most effective bowler on the bouncy pitches of South Africa. His added advantage will be the presence of Zaheer Khan, his role model. Also, he has got good chemistry with Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

All he has got to do is to maintain his speed, tempo and self esteem. Also, I would like to render a little piece of advice – please try to stay away from injuries. He is already 26 plus and it is high time that he should establish himself quickly.

Once he is able to achieve his goals, there will be no looking back. Most of his fans believe that the possibilities are unlimited . Best Wishes boy, as seldom does one get a chance to sharpen his skill under the guidance of Zaheer Khan.