Team India registered a historic win over Bangladesh in the Pink Ball Test on Sunday, winning the game by an innings and 46 runs. Consequently, India won their third consecutive Test series win, having won against West Indies and South Africa in the previous two test assignments.
In the last couple of years, India have become a force to reckon with in Test Cricket and are currently at the top of the rankings in the World Test Championship, boasting of as many as 360 points in 7 matches they have played in the tournament so far.
A lot of credit should be given to India’s fast bowling attack which has played a major role in making India one of the best test teams right now.
The fast-bowling attack has been sensational in the subcontinent as well as overseas conditions. Interestingly, in the recently concluded Pink-Ball Test, the pace-trio of Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma have picked all the 19 Bangladesh wickets in the match.
Umesh Yadav ended with a match haul of 8/81, while Ishant Sharma picked as many as 9 wickets in the match.
In a recent conversation with Rohit Sharma, both Ishant and Umesh revealed the secret behind their recent success in Test Cricket.
32-year old Umesh Yadav said that the change in his bowling grip did a world of good for him.
“Tweaking my bowling grip helped immensely,” Yadav said during a conversation with Rohit Sharma.
“My grip was different earlier so one or two balls will swing while a couple of them would either get deflected from the legs or run down the leg side for boundaries as byes, so it was difficult to control in this grip.
“So I spoke to my coaches and also while discussing within ourselves, I felt when I hold the ball properly, I have more control and chances of moving the ball. So my outswinger became consistent and I could also throw in a few inswingers after making that change.”
Ishant Sharma, on the other hand, asserted that a change in his wrist position has helped him create angles and thereby giving more trouble to the batsmen.
“I created angles in my bowling on the basis of my wrist position. If I come round the wicket to the left-hander, it will be more difficult for the batsman,” Ishant said.
“Before that, I used to bowl but I couldn’t get the edge because it would land on off stumps and would go out. Now I bowl at the stumps, so it becomes difficult for the batsman,” he concluded.
