IND vs ENG | Oval pitch conducive for batting and India will put a good score, states Umesh Yadav
Umesh Yadav speaking on India's Batting
|BCCI Twitter
Umesh Yadav, on Friday, has stated that India will put up a good score in the second innings of the fourth Test at The Oval owing to the nature of the wicket. Umesh has added that the pitch was different from Day 1 and the game was still alive despite England’s 99 run-lead in the first innings.
In reply to the 99-run deficit, Indian openers, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul scored 43 runs before the stumps were called on Day 2. As a result, India would begin Day 3 trailing the hosts by 56 runs. Umesh, however, said that the weather conditions will also be different from Day 1 and predicted India to do well with the bat.Â
“In the first innings, there was a bit of moisture on the wicket, there was a bit of bounce and the weather conditions were a bit different. The way our batsmen are batting, I feel they will do well and we will make a good score at this wicket,” said Umesh Yadav in a virtual press conference.Â
In reply to India’s 191, England scored 290 at the end of the first innings after struggling at 62/5. However, on the back of Ollie Pope’s 81 and Chris Woakes’ 50, England ensured that they took control of the game. Umesh, who played his first Test in nine months and took three wickets for 76 runs, was critical about the runs conceded by the bowling unit in the middle phase of the English first innings.Â
“The way we started our bowling, within 40 minutes, we took two wickets. After that we can say it was a drift down, as we conceded 40-45 runs in seven or eight overs. Then the batsmen got the rhythm back and came in flow. They also came to know what is to be done,” added the 33-year-old.Â
"You are trying everything, but there is no support from the wicket and then after that after bowlers concede fours, batsmen have the upper hand and they want to be dominate. I feel we made a mistake, the way we took wickets, we should have kept tight, but I feel a bit more runs were conceded in the middle phase, which shouldn't have been the case."
