During the second day of the third Test match of the ongoing Australia’s tour of India in Indore, India fast bowler Umesh Yadav proved his worth in home conditions yet again by picking three wickets within quick succession to leave the opposition in trouble.
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It was on the sixth ball that he bowled that Yadav found Australia all-rounder Cameron Green (21) wanting in front of the stumps. Green, who wanted to defend a delivery in line with the stumps, was undone by late movement. As a result, ended up losing both his wicket and a review.
That said, Yadav put on display his supreme quality of reverse swing by dismissing Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc (1) in his second over. Bowling round the wicket, Yadav made the ball to straighten enough to deceive Starc and hit the stumps. With the off-stump flying in a quintessential cartwheeling manner, it ended up in immense embarrassment for the left-handed batter.
Mitchell Starc clean bowled by Umesh Yadav as stumps go cartwheeling
ICYMI – in India for @y_umesh
What a ball that was from Umesh Yadav as he cleans up Mitchell Starc to grab his 100th Test wicket at home. #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/AD0NIUbkGB
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 2, 2023
Not stopping at that, Yadav managed to register a carbon copy of this dismissal in his third over to send Australia spinner Todd Murphy (0) back to the pavilion.
Having bowled only a couple of overs on Day 1, Yadav was the last Indian bowler to be introduced into the attack by captain Rohit Sharma in the morning session today. Although India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin (20.3-4-44-3) dismissed Australia batter Peter Handscomb (19) to draw first blood on Thursday, he was assisted by Yadav from the other end as the pair picked as many as six wickets within 11 runs.
Umesh Yadav completes 100 Test wickets in India
Yadav, who picked figures of 5-0-12-3 before India bundled out Australia for 197 in 76.3 overs, picked his 100th Test wicket at home by dismissing Starc. Fifth pacer to do in India in this format, Yadav is all in likeliness of equaling the likes of Ishant Sharma (104), Zaheer Khan (104) and Javagal Srinath (108) in the near future.
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Leaving behind former India captain Kapil Dev (219), however, will require a mammoth effort from the 35-year old player. The fact that Yadav is the only fast bowler among these names to have a strike rate of less than 50 in Tests played in India speaks highly about his fantastic record at home.
