India pacer Umesh Yadav says that on pitches like the one in Hyderabad for the second Test which offered little assistance either to pace or spin, the emphasis is more on containment.
Speaking to media after the first day’s play against West Indies on Friday, Umesh said that he took a chance by trying to take wickets knowing fully the workload in the absence of injured Shardul Thakur.
“Yes, if only he had been there and taken one or two wickets, it could have helped the team’s cause. I was very positive in my approach once Shardul left the field. I have a job on hand and I must focus on that,” he said.
On the lower order of a visiting team again doing well against India at home, Umesh felt that with the SG balls, it is difficult to get swing and bounce once they are 20 overs old. “They will be soft and good for batting. We do try our best in these conditions,” he said.
On left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, Umesh reminded that the bowlers could very little on this pitch and hoped he would bowl much better as the match progresses.