India vs Australia: Anil Kumble goes gaga about Umesh Yadav ahead of Ranchi Test

Ranchi: India head coach Anil Kumble on Tuesday showered praise on Umesh Yadav, saying that the right-arm pacer, always looks to pick-up a five-wicket haul whenever he comes to bowl.

While much of the focus has been on the spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who have done the chunk of the bowling and the wickets in the ongoing four-match Test series against Australia, the India pacers-Umesh and Ishant Sharma have performed exceedingly well and have given crucial breakthroughs to put the hosts ahead at many instances.

Both Umesh and Ishant bowled their hearts out throughout the second Test at Bengaluru which India won by 75 runs to level the series.

Together they sent down a total of 66 overs (picking up five wickets amongst themselves) and remained as the unsung heroes of the game.

Even in the first Test in Pune which the hosts lost by a huge margin of 333 runs, Umesh had bowled exceedingly well and took four wickets on the second day of the game.

He emerged as the star bowler for India picking up four wickets and gave only 32 runs.

"We have seen what is Umesh is capable of. Although, he doesn't have the kind of wickets that you would expect in a home season as he has played literally all the Test matches. But the way he has bowled, the way he has given us the breakthroughs, he may not have a five-wicket haul but every time he has bowled, he has looked like he will pick up a fifer," said Kumble while addressing the media here at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi.

"That's the kind of maturity and the kind of improvement that he has shown. It is credit to him whichever spell he comes to bowl, he has contributed by picking up those breakthroughs," he added.

The head coach also insisted that both the teams have moved on from the DRS controversy that took place in Bengaluru Test and are now focusing on the game.

"We've moved on from whatever happened in Bengaluru. The focus has to be on the game and I thought we really made a fantastic comeback after losing the first Test.The focus is back on the game," he said.

The legendary leg-spinner also heaped praise on Ashwin and Jadeja saying, "Ashwin will always be spoken about but I am glad that Jadeja has come up and done what he is capable off. I am really glad that both of them are currently at the top of the ICC Rankings."

When asked if the boys were feeling fresh and energetic while playing 17 Test matches at a stretch, Kumble said, "The boys have responded really well. It's been a long season. It's not easy when you are playing 17 Test matches on the trot, especially for the bowling unit and of course for the batsmen as its takes it own."

"Touchwood we have had very little injuries. Of course Shami is injured and he is also coming back. So, we have had some injuries but some of them have responded really well to the challenges that have come about."

"Every individual has stood up with the captain leading from the front. It's really nice and augurs well that each individual has contributed to the success of the team and we would like to finish the last two Tests in a very good way and I am sure, it will be something we all would be cherishing in the end of the series," the 46-year-old added.

The Australian Team would be going into the Third Test with the series leveled at 1-1, beginning Thursday at Ranchi, without the services of their pace spearhead Mitchell Starc and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.

While Starc has been ruled out of the remaining Test because of a stress fracture in his right foot, Marsh is suffering from a shoulder injury and is likely to stay away from the field for quite some time.