Why isn't India playing Umesh Yadav against England?

Umesh Yadav is the only genuine fast bowler in India’s ODI squad but despite an injury to Mohit Sharma, India opted to give Dhawal Kulkarni his debut rather than let Umesh loose at an already shaky England. Firstpost sports editor Ashish Magotra and deputy editor Tariq Engineer try to understand India’s pace-shy approach in international cricket Tariq Engineer: Ashish, can you explain to me why Umesh Yadav is not playing even though Mohit Sharma is injured? Surely it was worth giving Umesh a go considering the World Cup is in Australia next year? Ashish Magotra: Normally, I would point to the numbers: an average of 42 and an economy rate of over 6. But that is just from 30 innings and there is bound to be a learning curve. In Umesh’s case I prefer to believe that the captain just doesn’t like him. This is a man who won you a Test match against England in Ahmedabad, this is a man who can bowl quick, this is a man who works hard on his fitness and Dhoni prefers to give Dhawal Kulkarni a game ahead of him. [caption id=“attachment_1693595” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Playing Umesh Yadav doesn’t seem to be high on India’s list of plans. AP[/caption] I have nothing against Dhawal – a very good bowler who gets wickets with the new ball. But is he going to run through sides? Is he going to make anyone cower in fear? Exactly. Umesh has the potential to do that but he just doesn’t get played enough. If Mohammad Shami isn’t bowling well, then we at least need someone quick in the pace bowling attack to add some variety to the bowling. Umesh last played an ODI in June (the series against Bangladesh) and before that you have to go back to December 2013. His last Test was played way back in Nov 2012. Now, if there is a problem with Umesh, then we must be told or please just let him run in and bowl fast. This is baffling. Almost as baffling as the decision to not keen Varun Aaron back for the ODIs as well. What is your take on that? Tariq Engineer: I agree completely with you that Varun should have been added to the ODI squad. I think India under Dhoni is suspicious of pace. And because India doesn’t have a tradition of fast bowling, we don’t know how to harness it. Think of all the potential fast bowlers we have lost over the last decades and a half. I hope the BCCI’s five-year deal with the MRF pace foundation helps to change this trend. Having a genuine fast bowler can not only win you matches, they can win you series as Mitchell Johnson showed in the Ashes. It took Johnson years to get to that point though and I doubt whether the Indian cricket set-up has the patience and the confidence to give a bowler time that much time to develop. You can’t expect the likes of Varun Aaron and Umesh to just turn up on the international scene and be the finished article. They also can’t learn their trade in domestic cricket – certainly not the Ranji Trophy. The only way is for them to bowl in international cricket. If they don’t bowl, they can’t improve. Imagine a bowling line-up of Shami (or Ishant), Aaron and Umesh, with Bhuvi as the swing bowler. If the first three can learn how to bowl from Glenn McGrath, that’s an attack that can succeed in any conditions. Sadly, I am not optimistic about it. As for Dhawal, I think Dhoni and Fletcher picked him because they deeply desire a seam bowling allrounder but I don’t think he is an upgrade over Stuart Binny. Do you think India need to stop worrying about finding allrounders and just focus on putting together the best seam bowling attack they can? Ashish Magotra: Allrounders are important but good allrounders come around once in a while, great allrounders come around in a lifetime. We already have a pretty decent prospect in Bhuvneshwar – and rather than try and bowl him into the ground, we should ensure he has adequate support in the form of other bowlers. It should be clear to anyone who cares for Indian cricket that to win Tests abroad, India needs good seam/swing/fast bowlers. If we are going to use them only when we travel, they aren’t going to get much better. In Umesh’s case – we are not even using him on ‘away’ tours. Well, making him carry drinks isn’t a good use of his abilities. This is almost like the openers issue that the Indian team is faced with when they travel. In India, it is okay to persist with batsmen who don’t use their feet well as long as they have good hand-eye co-ordination and can hit through the line. But these same batsmen struggle away from home. India needs to invest in quality bowlers and give them all the backing they need. Ignoring a bowler after taking him on tour isn’t going to help the team or the bowler. A bigger worry for me is the kind of message that this sends out to fast bowlers all over India. Control not pace is the calling card in Dhoni’s India. Is this the message you would broadcast? Tariq Engineer: That is why I hope the MRF Pace Foundation deal can work a miracle. India’s cricket culture needs to adapt to accommodate pace. We can’t be a truly dominant team if we remain a land of Mohit Sharmas and Dhawal Kulkarnis. No disrespect meant to either of them, of course. They can do a specific job but they aren’t going to scare anyone. Varun and Umesh have the pace that can intimidate opposing batsmen. India should be letting them loose rather than neutering them.