New Delhi: India fast bowler Umesh Yadav Sunday revealed he was terrified when he got to know that he would be bowling to batting greats Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman in a domestic match early in his career.
Yadav recalled the Duleep Trophy 2008-09 match between Central Zone and South Zone in which he was up against Dravid and Laxman.
“When I went to play the Duleep Trophy match and got to know the team I would be playing against and I would be bowling against the likes of (Rahul) Dravid and (VVS) Laxman… I was terrified,” Yadav said on Cricbuzz’s Youtube chat show Spicy Pitch.
In the match, Yadav, playing for Central Zone, dismissed Laxman for 13 and Dravid for 7 in the first innings and bagged a five-wicket haul. Sixteen months later, he made his debut for India in an ODI match against Zimbabwe in May 2010.
“I had never imagined that I would bowl such a fine spell under such a pressure situation. I took a 5-wicket haul and got the big wickets of Dravid and Laxman. That gave me immense confidence,” the 32-year-old said.
“People say that their situation is tough, or they’ve seen such a hard life and struggled their way here. I say everyone has a hard life, no one has it easy. The main thing is to have faith and if you believe in yourself you’ll find success and the space you need in your life, there’s nothing else to it,” he added.
Yadav has so far played 46 Tests after making his debut in 2011, claiming 144 wickets. He has featured in 75 ODIs and picked up 106 wickets.
PTI