Ahead of the Gwalior ODI, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav repeated the essential rule for handling a fast bowler. “It’s important to manage him well,” he said of India’s new tearaway, Mayank Yadav, 22.

There are few sights in cricket more electrifying than a fast bowler in full flow. For generations, India didn’t have one. In the years I was growing up in cricket, India’s opening bowlers were Abid Ali and Eknath Solkar, men with big hearts and strong minds but not enough pace.

When Clive Lloyd hammered 163 in a Bengaluru Test match, many joked that he came out after lunch somewhat lethargic and hit the Indian ‘pacemen’ for six in the act of stifling a yawn. India’s fast bowlers were a joke even among Indian fans. We knew that a wicketkeeper, Budhi Kunderan had opened the bowling, that among the bowlers employed to rid the ball of its shine were the Nawab of Pataudi and Sunil Gavaskar. Fielders rolled the ball while returning it to the bowler, and sometimes rubbed it hard on the ground to hasten the arrival of the great spinners.

Emergence of tearaways

Then came Kapil Dev, who often got a batter to hurry, and later, Javagal Srinath who was genuinely quick. Kapil was master of swing rather than pace. But these two bowlers a generation apart set off a cultural change, with more youngsters looking to bowl pace.

With Srinath, and later Zaheer Khan came a bunch that could bowl consistently at over 140 kmph, occasionally touching 145, that magic figure which corresponded to the gold standard of the past — 90 miles per hour.

Now two young men, Umran Malik and Mayank Yadav, have gone past that figure casually, taking Indian fast bowling into the realm of the mid-150s. Umran, spotted while playing on a cement wicket by selectors on a pilgrimage in Kashmir, made his IPL debut three years ago and averaged 150-plus in some spells. Dale Steyn, the great fast bowler who was his coach at Sunrisers Hyderabad said then, “the world is his oyster.” Everybody loves a stump-breaker and architect of one of cricket’s great sights: the cartwheeling stump.

Malik, 24, who has played white ball cricket for India has missed matches owing to illness (dengue fever) and injury (toe, hamstring, hip). He was not a finished product when he played for India, as neither is Mayank, but there is a good argument for blooding the fastest bowlers early.

The extra pace is a potent weapon, and while neither fast bowler has shown they have either swing or the yorker in their armoury, bowling with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah can pack in a lifetime of education in a short period.

Fast bowlers have it tougher than others because bowling is not a natural act. You run in fast, leap, turn and land sideways — a series of actions involving extension, rotation and lateral flexion. It puts a terrible strain on the spine, back, thighs, feet at the very least. Elsewhere too, if the whole sequence is not properly aligned. Proper rest is important.

Injury issues

The repetitive nature of the job and the danger of captains overusing such precious bowlers mean that side strains, groin and hamstring injuries are common. But there are too the dangers of stress fractures and injuries to the spine. Umran missed the Duleep Trophy owing to an issue with his hip, for example.

Fast bowlers understand that with advancing age, their speeds will reduce. And that is why they have to stock up on other techniques. Richard Hadlee is a great example of a top fast bowler who finished his career as one of the finest proponents of swing and seam. Dennis Lillee was a tearaway before a series of stress fractures put him out of the game. When he returned, he developed other skills and finished as one of the best to have played the game. Mental strength is key to fast bowling.

Suryakumar’s advice is well-founded. A bowler in the 150kmph category is a jewel, and needs to be handled with love, not a word used in sporting contexts. Bowling fast is a difficult craft, lasting long is just as difficult. Captains, coaches and administrators have a role in ensuring such longevity. The sport demands it.

Mayank Yadav who has been on the sidelines since April 30 after suffering an injury during the IPL 2024 will be returning to the Indian squad for the T20Is against Bangladesh.
| Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini

India’s fastest bowler Mayank Yadav on Saturday (September 28, 2024) got fast-tracked into the Indian team for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh after completing his near five-month rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy.

The team set to be led by Suryakumar Yadav only has one more senior — former T20I skipper Hardik Pandya — in its ranks as all the recent IPL performers have been selected.

Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who plays for Kolkata Knight Riders, got a recall after three years since his nightmarish T20 World Cup campaign in the UAE in 2021.

Nitish Reddy, the back-up seamer all-rounder after Pandya and Shivam Dube, also got a look-in after he missed out on the recent Zimbabwe tour owing to an injury.

The talented players like Riyan Parag, Abhishek Sharma, Harshit Rana have all found a place in the 15-man squad that has Jitesh Sharma as the second keeper behind Sanju Samson.

The biggest surprise is certainly the inclusion of Mayank, who consistently bowled mid-150 clicks for Lucknow Super Giants during three of his four IPL matches including back-to-back Player of the Match awards which garnered global attention.

It was during mid-IPL, the 22-year-old Mayank, who hails from Delhi, was ruled out due to lower abdominal strain.

Such has been his talent that he was wrapped in cotton wool with an extensive rehabilitation programme and of late has been bowling 14-15 overs per day at the NCA.

However, it is believed that before being unleashed into red ball format in Ranji Trophy, Bangladesh series is the best opportunity for the national selection committee and head coach Gautam Gambhir to check out how he is coping at the international level with only four overs to bowl.

If his body holds up well, they might slowly draft him into the longer formats as he is considered a prospect who will serve Indian cricket for the longest time.

Chakravarthy, a vital cog in KKR’s victorious IPL campaign under Gambhir’s mentorship, was overlooked as recently as the tour to Zimbabwe and also Sri Lanka despite an impressive 21 wickets from 14 games.

However, it is understood that Gambhir was very keen on having Chakravarthy, who mainly bowls fast leg-breaks along with a deceptive wrong ‘un.

India will play three T20Is in Gwalior (October 6), New Delhi (October 9) and Hyderabad (October 12) against Najmul Hossain Shanto’s Bangladesh.

India squad for the Bangladesh T20Is:

Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, JItesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav.

New pace sensation Mayank Yadav will be closely followed by all and sundry after his match-winning performances as Lucknow Super Giants eye a hat-trick of wins when they take on an inconsistent Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League in Lucknow on April 7.

Yadav has caught everyone’s attention in the ongoing IPL with his raw pace and razor-sharp control, winning back-to-back player-of-the-match awards.

In his debut match against Punjab Kings, the 21-year-old returned impressive figures of 3/27, stunning England batter Jonny Bairstow with his searing pace.

He followed that performance with 3/14 figures against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, blowing away Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell with a 151kmph delivery, and then cleaned up his teammate Cameron Green.

His spectacular performances have led to debates within the cricketing community whether he should be fast-tracked into the Indian team.

But only two games can’t be a parameter for a place in the Indian team. For Yadav, the crucial factor would be his consistency, which the national selectors will be closely following.

On the batting front, LSG boast of a solid opening pair of Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul. The South African has been in prime form after a rare off day in the team’s opener but the skipper needs to get his act together as he hasn’t been able to capitalise on starts.

The big-hitting Nicholas Pooran has been LSG’s go-to-man in the finishing overs while Krunal Pandya was also handy in the last game.

But the major concern for the Lucknow outfit remains the form of Devdutt Padikkal and Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis.

In bowling, Yadav needs more support from the likes of Naveen-ul-Haq, Yash Thakur, Mohsin Khan, Stonis, and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi.

LSG, who are placed fourth with two wins out of three games, would also look to keep a clean slate at home and cash in on familiar conditions to register the third successive win this season.

GT, on the other hand, have had a mixed bag campaign so far under new captain Shubman Gill, winning two and losing two games to occupy the seventh spot on the points table.

Gill, who scored an unbeaten 89 off 48 balls, found some much-needed runs in the previous game and would look to continue in the same vein.

B Sai Sudharsan has looked in good touch but would be on the lookout for a big score. However, the likes of Wriddhiman Saha and Vijay Shankar need to rise to the occasion.

Mohit Sharma has been the stand-out performer for GT, but he needs more support from the likes of Azmatullah Omarzai, Umesh Yadav, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad.

Teams (from):

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), David Miller, Matthew Wade, Wriddhiman Saha, Robin Minz, Kane Williamson, Abhinav Mandhar, B Sai Sudarshan, Darshan Nalkande, Vijay Shankar, Azmatullah Omarzai, Shahrukh Khan, Jayant Yadav, Rahul Tewatia, Kartik Tyagi, Shshant Mishra, Spencer Johnson, Noor Ahmad, Sai Kishore, Umesh Yadav, Rashid Khan, Joshua Little, Mohit Sharma and Manav Suthar.

Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Krunal Pandya, Yudhvir Singh, Prerak Mankad, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Shamar Joseph, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, K. Gowtham, Arshin Kulkarni, M. Siddharth, Ashton Turner, Matt Henry, Mohd Arshad Khan.

Match starts at 7.30 PM.

LSG’s Mayank Yadav during the IPL 2024 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Lucknow Super Giants, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru on April 02, 2024.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

In the post-match press conference on Tuesday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact Player Mahipal Lomror explained that the team’s game plan to tackle Lucknow Super Giants fast bowler Mayank Yadav was to use his express pace to get boundaries.

But in order to execute this idea, you must first get bat on it. Cameron Green failed on this front, as Mayank cut through his tame defence to thud into off-stump. The delivery may have been well short of the 156.7kmph clocked by Mayank earlier in the game, but it was still much too quick for the Australian.

Futile exercise

And when they did get bat on it, it was a futile exercise. Glenn Maxwell and Rajat Patidar did not have enough time to adjust the feet and get over the bounce, and ended up awkwardly slicing it high.

Just two games into his IPL career, Mayank is the hottest property in Indian cricket. In an era where speedsters are required to showcase cutters and slow bouncers, Mayank’s allure lies in raw firepower.

There are already calls to include the 21-year-old in the Indian team for the ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2024. It is tough to argue against this suggestion. A rocket delivery at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will remain a rocket in the USA and West Indies. Pace like fire holds immeasurable value in both franchise and international cricket.

Mayank was on the LSG bench for IPL 2022, and missed the previous IPL season through injury. If he manages to play through IPL 2024 without a break, Mayank will prove that he is ready for international duty.

LSG captain K.L. Rahul noted that Mayank had “quietly and patiently waited for two seasons in the dugout”.

“Mayank has worked hard to make his comeback. He knows that bowling 155kmph consistently is not easy. He is a thorough professional when it comes to looking after his body,” Rahul added.

When he has the ‘keeping gloves on to Mayank, Rahul wisely takes a few steps back. “I’m enjoying seeing him bowl from 20 yards behind the stumps. That is how far back I would like to be when he is bowling,” Rahul said.

Lucknow Super Giants’s Mayank Yadav appeals unsuccessfully during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 T20 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants, at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru on April 2, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Fast bowling sensation Mayank Yadav came up with his second consecutive match-winning spell on April 2 and he is hoping that his stellar start to the IPL leads to an India cap.

With back-to-back player of the match performances in his debut season, the 21-year-old has emerged as the find of season. However, IPL is only a means to an end for Mayank.

“Feel really good, two Player of the Match awards in two matches. I am happier that we won both the matches. My goal is to play for the country. I feel this is just the start. I enjoyed Cameron Green’s wicket the most,” said Mayank after LSG’s win over RCB in Bengaluru.

His three wickets included Green, Glenn Maxwell and Rajat Patidar. Mayank had missed the last season due to injury and he fully knows the importance to fitness.

“There are a lot of factors to bowl quick — diet, sleep, training. I am focusing a lot on my diet and recovery — ice bath,” he said.

LSG skipper KL Rahul could not be more pleased for a cricketer who has shown great temperament to complement his thunderous pace.

After rattling Punjab Kings batters with pace on his IPL debut, the 21-year-old meted out similar treatment to RCB batters to end with a second straight three-wicket haul.

Rahul is having a hard time keeping to Mayank but he is not complaining.

“One ball hit me really hard, so happy to see Mayank bowl the way he’s been bowling. He’s waited patiently for a year, he’s working really hard, he’s really professional, has a great temperament,” said Rahul at the post-match presentation. RCB skipper Faf du Plessis also gave due credit to Mayank.

“It is the new action you haven’t faced before, and if they have pace then you need time to get used to it. But his ability to control length and have accuracy is impressive.

“You need two guys to bat through and get a partnership which we were not able to do. We need the strong characters in the dressing room to put their hand up,” said du Plessis after RCB’s third loss in four games.