India vs West Indies: After Virat Kohli And Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav Criticises The SG Ball

The list comprising players who are not happy with the SG ball is getting longer. After the end of the first Test against the Windies, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said the ball is "disappointing" and India captain Virat Kohli also said that he preferred the Dukes ball. Now, Umesh Yadav has come out and said that the SG ball doesn't help in the process of dismissing the opposition's lower-order. "If you are saying that lower order has scored runs, then you must realise that in India, with SG Test balls on these kinds of flat tracks, you neither get pace nor bounce. So the option to use variations ends," Umesh said at the post-match conference.

"So (with SG) all you can do is to bowl one spot but then you will realise that nothing is happening even off the pitch nor is it swinging. So when middle and lower order comes in they know that ball has become soft and it doesn't come at a pace and batting becomes easier," the fast bowler added.

Umesh ended the first day of the second Test against the Windies with figures of 3 for 83 from 23 overs.

"Tail-enders know that it will neither swing nor reverse. You just have to wait for something to happen and keep trying. But you can't really do it on such a big ground, the ones and twos keep coming. And West Indies' game is like that only," Umesh said.

However, Umesh said that Shardul's exclusion was certainly not helpful for the Indian bowling attack.

"Had Shardul been there, it would have been more help for the spinners. Like I got three wickets and if he could have chipped in with a couple, it would have only helped our team. But you can't really do anything in these situations as this is part and parcel of the game.

"If he (Shardul) is not there, I will have to bowl his quota of overs too and I knew he was not going to come back. I didn't want negativity to creep inside me that we are now one bowler short," the Vidarbha pacer said.

(With PTI inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team West Indies Cricket Team Virat Kohli Ravichandran Ashwin Umesh Yadav Cricket India vs West Indies 2018 India vs West Indies, 2nd Test