Healthy competition motivation for producing more match-winning performances, reveals Umesh Yadav

There was a time when the Indian team longed to have three frontline pacers in the side but today they have four to five speedsters vying to grab the spots. India’s fiery pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami has been breathing fire lately and has made the life of opposition batsmen hell all around the globe.

Umesh Yadav, who has had a history peppered with injuries, is now in contention to grab a spot in the Test side. Coming back into the side, after almost a year, to fill the shoes of injured Bumrah, Umesh has done a tremendous job picking up 23 wickets in just 4 Tests. Umesh shared how frustrating sitting out of the team can be as he shared he tried to be fit to grab even the slightest of opportunities that come his way.

“It becomes boring if you sit out and then certain thoughts that you don’t want creep in to your system. Why I am not playing? What’s happening? It becomes difficult to keep yourself positive, train hard and keep yourself ready,” he told PTI.

“I knew my chance will come if I am fit since there are so many matches in the calendar. You need to wait since pace unit was doing really well."

Instead of being wary of all the competition for the top three spots in the pace department, the Vidarbha lad termed it as “healthy competition.” He pointed out that all the healthy competition in the side is what is motivating to produce all the match winning performances. Umesh recently bagged a fifer in the second innings of the historic D/N Test match and 8 in the match against Bangladesh.

“All four of us are now at a level where you can’t predict which three will play at one point in time. It’s because of healthy competition. I believe it’s a great thing that we are being rotated and played, because of which our longevity has increased and we are producing more match-winning performances,” he said.

“Whoever does well will be a part of the team. Important is to grab your chances with both hands as and when you get them. When I see Bumrah, Ishant and Shami, I try to learn from them. The learning never stops."