India have announced their Test team for the series against South Africa at home and as KL Rahul’s omission, Rohit Sharma’s promotion to the top and Shubman Gill’s inclusion hogs headlines, Umesh Yadav’s omission is barely discussed. This is probably justified considering that this is a home series where only two pacers at most will play. Also, Umesh hasn’t been a key player in India’s plans in Tests of late.
But where the omission goes haywire is when you consider Umesh’s returns in Tests at home. Since 2017, he is India’s most successful Test bowler ahead of Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami. In fact, he has a better strike rate than India’s primary spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
|
India's bowlers in home Tests since 2017 |
|||||
|
Player |
Wickets |
Average |
SR |
5W Innings Haul |
10W Match Haul |
|
RA Jadeja |
54 |
19.33 |
51.5 |
2 |
0 |
|
R Ashwin |
53 |
25.37 |
55.6 |
1 |
0 |
|
UT Yadav |
40 |
22.62 |
42.2 |
1 |
1 |
|
I Sharma |
18 |
31.83 |
63.8 |
0 |
0 |
|
Kuldeep Yadav |
14 |
24.28 |
40.2 |
1 |
0 |
|
B Kumar |
11 |
21 |
47.1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Mohammed Shami |
11 |
27.45 |
48.5 |
0 |
0 |
|
J Yadav |
2 |
50.5 |
69 |
0 |
0 |
Umesh has taken 40 wickets in home Tests since 2017 at an average of 22.62 and a strike rate of 42.2. Compared to Ishant’s strike rate of 63.8 and Shami’s strike rate of 48.5, these are exemplary numbers.
Granted Jasprit Bumrah is due for a home series after his overseas exploits, but it’s bizarre that an Indian team which boasted of a ‘horses for courses’ policy to put Rohit Sharma ahead of Cheteshwar Pujara in their overseas tour last year has suddenly forgotten Umesh.
If the criteria is indeed to play the best bowler apt for the conditions, Umesh should win hands down. No other Indian pacer has over 20 wickets at home since 2017 while Umesh has 40 of them. He is the only Indian – pacer or spinner – to snare a 10-wicket haul in a match in Tests at home since 2017.
In the 2015 series at home against South Africa, Umesh played a good sidekick to the spinners by taking five wickets in two Tests at an average of 12. Overall, at home, he averages 27.97 with 73 wickets in 24 Tests. When West Indies toured India last year, Umesh picked up 11 wickets in two Tests with a best of 6/88 and averaged 15.36 in the series. Against Australia in 2017, Umesh took 17 wickets in four Tests at an average of 23.41.
Despite his credibility in these conditions with the new and old ball, Umesh, who has done little wrong, is suddenly out of India’s scheme of things.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Noah Seelam
