ENG vs IND: It Is Extremely Unfortunate That Umesh Yadav Is Made To Sit Out Most Of The Time - Bharat Arun

Former Indian bowling coach Bharat Arun said it is unfortunate for Umesh Yadav to be left out of the Indian team because of the options available before them.

Since the start of 2018, Umesh played a total of 16 Tests for India as Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah were preferred as the frontline pacers with Mohammed Siraj recently cemented his place as the third-choice pacer.

India also plays all-rounder Shardul Thakur as the fourth pace bowling option which led to the exclusion of veteran pacer Ishant Sharma from the Test squad.

Umesh Yadav picked six wickets at The Oval against England in 2021

Umesh has been part of India’s Test squad for the five-match Test series against England but only got one game to play at the Oval. Umesh returned with six wickets in that game, including the crucial wicket of the then England captain Joe Root, as India won by 157 runs and took a 2-1 lead.

Umesh Yadav has been outstanding with his ability to reverse the ball: Bharat Arun

Arun, who worked as India’s bowling coach until the 2021 T20 World Cup last year, said Umesh has always produced results for India whenever the pace bowler got opportunities to don the whites.

“Oh, he is a delight to work with. He’s simple, he’s got a superb repeatable action. He is extremely strong and a very disciplined guy. It’s extremely unfortunate that a man of his calibre is made to sit out most of the time because of the combinations we have,” Arun told Cricbuzz.

“Whenever he’s played in India, he’s been outstanding with his ability to reverse the ball. I only wish that we had used him more but there were other bowlers also who were performing. In a nutshell, he’s somebody who has not achieved his potential.

Umesh made his Test debut in 2011 against West Indies in New Delhi and has claimed 158 wickets at 30.08 in 52 Tests with his best figures being 6/88 against West Indies in 2018. The 34-year-old played his last Test for India against South Africa in January this year in Cape Town.

Also Read: I’m Not Sure If I Can Play For Another 5 Years: Umesh Yadav