One would have expected India pacer Umesh Yadav to have been given a well earned rest yesterday having bowled a fiery 15 overs, picking two for 69 as Australia were dismissed for 300 a day earlier
India's Umesh Yadav
One would have expected India pacer Umesh Yadav to have been given a well earned rest yesterday having bowled a fiery 15 overs, picking two for 69 as Australia were dismissed for 300 a day earlier.
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Instead, it was quite the opposite. India batting coach Sanjay Bangar was seen putting Yadav through a tough batting session in the nets near the main entrance of the HPCA Stadium here last morning in case the tailender's services would be required later in the day as the Indian batting progressed.
Mumbai-based Bangar and Nagpur-born Yadav chatted in chaste Marathi as they discussed how the player should hang around if the opportunity to bat did arise.
Yadav defended most of Bangar's throw downs, but at times, when he tried to drive, he only managed to edge it.
That's when Bangar offered him a vital tip, again in Marathi: "Evdha var aala ki tula maraychi garaj nahi. Fakta bat thev (if the ball is pitched up, there's no need to drive. Just keep the bat steady and defend)." "Ho (yes), sir," replied Yadav. With India 248-6 at stumps on Day Two yesterday, let's see how well Yadav puts that advice into practice today.
No coins, please!
The crowds at Test matches are never that great and here at Dharamsala too the scenario is not very different. However, yesterday there was an impressive 13,000-plus turn-out at the 22,000-capacity venue as India were batting.
However, it was sad to see the security personnel at the entry gates subjecting the cricket-loving public to some stringent security measures. Even coins were not allowed inside the venue.
Almost every spectator getting into the stadium had to surrender all his/her coins from their purses by the overzealous policemen and thrown into a large basket gateside.
"The coins could hurt if hurled at the players, so we are taking them away," justified one officer at the gate.
He wasn't sure though what they would do with all those coins at the end of the day. "Our senior officers will take a call on that," said another cop.
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