I am getting better day by day: Umesh Yadav

Indian pacer Umesh Yadav, who came out with another impressive performance on the opening day of the third Test against England, believes he is getting better and better with each passing day.

After England won the toss and decided to bat on a slow pitch here at the PCA Stadium, India proved their decision wrong by picking up four quick wickets in the first session on Saturday.

A watchful start from 19-year-old Haseeb Hameed was interrupted by a good length ball from Yadav that climbed steeply on the teenager, struck his glove and looped up neatly for Ajinkya Rahane to catch at gully. The 29-year-old pacer, who was impressive with his ball movement early morning, returned late in the day to pick the wicket of Chris Woakes in the penultimate over of the day.

"I believe that I am improving day by day as I am playing more and more matches. I have been talking to my coaches and take advices who tell me that I have to bowl in my areas of strength," Yadav said in a post-match press conference.

"With pace also comes a disadvantage that if you don't bowl in the right areas, you can go for runs So, coach Anil Kumble and others have been telling me to focus at one area and accordingly in every match, I try to bowl in my impact area which is outside the off stump where I can force the batsman to play as many balls as I can and then induce a mistake," he said. "My plan is simple, matches, practice and focus on what I want to do, play to my areas of strength, I just want to keep learning and how to bowl in pressure situations."

Speaking about the pitch, the right-arm pacer asserted that there is enough help for the fast bowlers to keep them interested in the match.

"It's not like the pitch is not helpful to bowlers. There is pace and bounce and there is enough help for the fast bowlers to keep them interested," he said.

The visiting batsmen recovered from struggle against swing, early collapse and late Indian spin attack to reach 268 for the loss of eight wickets at stumps on the first day.

Jonny Bairstow led the England team with 89. He was the only batsman who did not struggle against the Indian bowlers and looked good to score another century before Jayant Yadav got his LBW at the fag end of the day.

He also stitched crucial partnerships of 69 and 57 with recalled Jos Buttler (43) and Ben Stokes for the fifth and sixth wickets respectively.