First held a leather ball at the age of 20, says Umesh Yadav

Indian pace spearhead Umesh Yadav, in a detailed interview, disclosed that he first held a leather ball when he was 20 years of age. Prior to it, he was only accustomed to bowling with the rubber and tennis ball. In his exchange, he also revealed that he faced difficulty in controlling the swing of the ball at first, but always knew that raw pace was his USP.

Through constant backing from former Indian captain MS Dhoni during his initial years in International cricket, Umesh Yadav transformed into Vidarbha Express in recent years. Unlike the fast bowlers India has previously had, Umesh stands out from the rest due to his fitness and agility in the field apart from pace and bounce.

“When I started off, I used to play with tennis and rubber balls. So, I had a good idea on how to use it. But I found the leather ball hard to comprehend because I had started playing with it at an older age. Initially, for the first couple of years, I found the going very tough with the leather ball. Some balls would swing away while some would automatically swing in,” stated Umesh Yadav in a long interview with BCCI.tv.

Bowling fast was my USP

“I would bowl it straight and while some balls would come in, others would swing away and I would be confused as to what is happening. Then my coaches told me that it was a normal thing and not something to worry about. The coaches told me that things would fall into place with time and I should first focus on bowling in the right areas. Initially, I would be wayward but you have to realise that I first held a leather ball at the age of 20,” added the 29-year-old.

“I had the ability to do well. But my USP was pace. I always knew there are many who can bowl in the 130-135kph bracket. But I also knew that if you can consistently hit the 140kph mark, then you definitely you have something different and you will get an opportunity,” concluded Yadav.