The paceman belongs to the rare breed of Indian bowlers who can bowl consistently quick, and he is not ready to sacrifice pace to gain more control on his line and length.
On the fringes
The right-armer, 28, has failed to cement his place in India’s bowling line-up since making his debut in an one-day international against Zimbabwe in May, 2010. Umesh, who has an economy of 5.84 in the 50-over format, has taken 72 wickets from 52 games. He has also played in 17 Tests, having taken 53 wickets. However, he has often been panned for being wayward while striving for extra pace.
Pace over line and length
“I am here because of my pace,” Umesh said on the eve of the team’s departure for a limited-overs series in Australia which starts on January 12 with the first ODI in Perth. “Whenever I come on to the ground or the pitch [to bowl], I always think about my pace. I do not think about my line and length.”
Competition with Aaron
Umesh’s words would delight cricket fans in the country who often bemoan the tendency among the Indian pacemen to drop pace once they have made the team, apparently to prolong their careers. Umesh has often lost his place in the team to fellow speedster Varun Aaron and, with India slated to play a lot of cricket this year on spin-friendly tracks at home, they are likely to vie with each other for a spot.
Looking to bowl faster
Umesh, from the central Indian city of Nagpur, accepts it is difficult to bowl fast while also sticking to the line and length to keep the runs down. He continues to work with the support staff on identifying the best spot to land his deliveries, but he is also keen to bowl even faster.
All about wrist position
“I have just been focusing on keeping my line and length closer to the off-stump,” he said. “I also try to swing the ball. I know if my wrist position is good, I can swing the ball easily. Sometimes you will have bad days, and you miss your length and give away easy scoring opportunities. But I am trying to build more pace in my bowling.”
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