NEWS
Follow UsIndian pacer Umesh Yadav, who marked his comeback to the side with a three-wicket-haul, admitted that team India let England off the hook on Day 2 after dominating the hosts in the first hour, and rued the fact that the bowlers did not keep things tight.
England, within the first 30 minutes of the day, were reduced to 62/5, but what followed was a series of counter-attacking partnerships that were aided by some undisciplined bowling. Post the first hour, India bowled one too many boundary balls, and England punished the visitors, taking every pacer for more than 3.20 runs an over.
Having let England take a lead of 99, Umesh conceded that India leaked runs in plenty after having the hosts by the scruff of the neck at one stage.
“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,” Umesh said in the press conference after the day.
"You are trying everything, but there is no support from the wicket and then after that after bowlers concede fours, batsmen are on 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."
The lack of discipline with the ball has given the batsmen a significant deficit to erase, but the senior pacer asserted that he has full faith in the batters to post a big total, particularly with the wicket getting better to bat on. At stumps on Day 2, both the openers remained unbeaten, with the score reading 43/0.
“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, added the 33-year-old pacer,” Umesh said.
Umesh himself was expensive, leaking runs at an ER of 4.00, but the 33-year-old also proved to be the most dangerous Indian bowler. The veteran took the all-important wickets of Joe Root and Dawid Malan and, despite turning out to be expensive, looked in fantastic rhythm throughout the innings.
Umesh credited the support staff for helping him ‘stay in the zone’ even when he was not a part of the starting XI.
“Usually, if you are not part of the team, then it does not happen that training or bowling stops. So, you are part of the team, so you continue your training and bowl in the nets, so that rhythm is always there.
“I feel when you are a part of the team, the physios, trainers and bowling coach and support staff, know that anyone can play, so they keep you in that zone and make you work hard.”