Shastri and Kohli have worked hard and given the freedom that has helped us do well, reveals Umesh YadavÂ
Indian pacer Umesh Yadav has credited Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli for team India's success and revealed that the freedom they give to the players has helped them perform to the best of their abilities. He also added that for Test specialists like him, the WTC finale is like a World Cup event.
Ever since Ravi Shastri joined hands with Virat Kohli, the Indian team have done incredibly well and dominated the world in Test cricket, consistently occupying the top spot in ICC's team rankings. Since the start of Ravi Shastri's coaching era, India have won 23 Tests out of 38, losing merely 11, and have had a W/L ratio of 2.090, second only to New Zealand's 3.2 in the time period. Both Shastri and Kohli believe in playing aggressive and fearless cricket and that's something which has come to the fore over and again especially when India have toured Down Under, winning twice in Australia, something that no other Indian team could achieve. Â
Indian pacer Umesh Yadav, who has reveled in the last few years in home Tests, and has made himself a key part of the team's pace attack, applauded Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli for their hard work. He also revealed that there is a lot of freedom that players get under both and that helps them put their best foot forward.Â
"Virat and Ravi bhai have worked really hard. The way Virat has captained and handled the team, the freedom and confidence that the captain and coach have given to the team keep a lot of weightage because as a bowler or a batsman when you can play at your free will and freedom you definitely perform so much better. When the team steps down on the ground, there is a kind of aggression, a feeling of backup and support. All 11 players are in sync with each other. So, coaches and captain deserve the credit for that. The players are very comfortable, there is a team spirit and good environment," Umesh told ANI, reported TOI.Â
India are going to be part of the inaugural World Test Championship finale with New Zealand in the much-awaited clash on June 18 at the Ageas Bowl. It will be a golden opportunity for several Test specialists in the team to lay their hands at the Championship silverware if India ends up winning the title. Umesh Yadav, who only represents India in Tests these days, also stated that for players who are uncertain for white-ball cricket like him, the WTC finale will be akin to the World Cup. Â
"Yes, Ishant Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane are correct. As a player when you are playing Test matches, the WTC is like a World Cup for you. It's very uncertain if we are going to get to play ODIs in the near future. So, as a Test match player, WTC is like a World Cup only. I also think the same. WTC final is different because you reach at that place by defeating a lot of good teams," he said.
The world is still going through a global pandemic and that has forced bio-bubbles into the sport. Reflecting on bio-bubbles and quarantine, Yadav asserted that it's very tough but players have to keep themselves fresh and prepared.Â
“Yes, definitely it is difficult because once your quarantine is over, the bio-bubble life starts. Until 10-15 days, it is all great, but then it starts to get a little exhausting because you are in the same place in a limited area and you cannot go beyond that. So, being mentally strong and keeping yourself fresh is very important."