My game is improving day by day: Umesh Yadav

Pacer Umesh Yadav whose two crucial wickets helped India restrict England to 268/8 at stumps on the opening day of the third cricket Test, on Saturday felt that his game was improving with each passing day.

Yadav credited head coach Anil Kumble and batting coach Sanjay Bangar for motivating him to bowl with a clear plan, which he felt worked in his favour at the Punjab Cricket Association I.S. Bindra Stadium.

Yadav, who regularly clocked past the 140 kmph-mark, first got rid of teenaged opening batsman Haseeb Hameed (9) and then bowled all-rounder Chris Woakes (25) with an almost unplayable delivery.

Asked about his impact ball, Yadav said he believed in keeping the ball near the off and middle stump, which makes most batsmen vulnerable before they get their eyes set on the game.

"My game is improving day by day. I have just been working on my line and length," Yadav said at the post-match presser.

"Sanjay Bangar and Anil Kumble have been telling me to bowl with clear plans. The ball was swinging so I just wanted to hit the right areas."

"I thought the ball reversed in a little too much so I tried to take it away too, but that didn't happen," he added.

Yadav, however, defended some of India's poor fielding efforts, specially off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who dropped a simple catch from England skipper Alastair Cook and then leaked a few runs by misfielding.

"Sometimes catches are dropped, but this is cricket. Sometimes your team-mates take good catches too."

"We have some of the best fielders in the team, be it in India or among all the cricket-playing countries, but dropping catches and misfielding are part and parcel of the game," he said.

--IANS

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