London: India pace bowler Umesh Yadav has said that the overs in the lead-up to lunch on a wicket that had turned placid hurt India as it allowed England to escape from a difficult position and post a 99-run lead in the first innings.
“We knew we had only 191 runs on the board. So when we started, we had only one thought and that was to bowl maiden overs. We were not after wickets but wanted to bowl as many maidens as we could bowl. We were trying that and we succeeded as well. In the middle phase, we leaked 40-50 runs and after that, the game opened up and they got 80-90 runs quickly,” said Yadav after returning figures of 3/76, the best by an Indian bowler on the day.
“Those 7-8 overs [before lunch], 35 runs were conceded. The batsmen got into a flow. They realised what they had to do. I think it was a bit of fault from our side. The way we had taken wickets, I think we should have kept it a bit tight. But I think we conceded more in the middle phase,” added Yadav further.
The 33-year-old Yadav, who last played a Test for India during the Test series in Australia — the second Test at Melbourne — feels India can still make a match of it since the pitch is very good to bat on.
“Definitely, we can make a match of it. In the first innings, there was moisture, bounce, weather conditions were different. When they batted, the pitch changed. If you saw, when we started we also started well. When you get a partnership, you realise that the wicket has flattened. The way our batsmen are batting, I feel we will do well and score big,” he added.
Yadav said that it is not difficult to make a comeback to the squad.
“You are always part of the team. Even if you are not playing, it doesn’t mean that your bowling and training has ended. You remain a key part of the team. You are always bowling at the nets. So it is not like if you are out of the team, you haven’t been doing anything. The support staff knows that one’s chance can come at any time, so they keep you in the zone. They ask you to work hard that much. So that whenever you play, you should have temperament and rhythm. It shouldn’t be like, you are playing the game and you haven’t bowled.”
