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On Day 1 of the second Test between India and Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur, senior pacer Umesh Yadav was in his best form, picking up four wickets and conceding just 25 runs in 15 overs to finish with his fourth-best figures on a grass-rich pitch.
The 35-year-old pacer was as effective with the old ball as he was with the new one as he got the ball to reverse swing. Umesh picked up only two wickets in the first Test in Chattogram but the senior pacer showcased his prowess in sub-continent conditions to pick up the crucial wickets of Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan, Nurul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed.
Speaking to the broadcasters after India bowled Bangladesh out for 227 on Day 1, Umesh was happy to have bowled stump-to-stump line while making good use of the reverse swing on offer despite the absence of pace on the Mirpur pitch.
"The start is good for the pacers early on. Some balls are kicking off and some are seaming. I just looked to hit the right areas. When Ashwin started, we thought it would turn. But it didn't, the pace isn't there for the spinners to turn. The dry grass has made the surface spongy. We were trying to reverse and bowled wicket to wicket. Happy to have gotten it," Umesh said.
While Umesh's pace bowling derailed Bangladesh, Ravichandran Ashwin spun weaves around their opponents. He also got four wickets to prove his naysayers wrong after an ordinary outing in Chattogram. The off-spinner also got the big wicket of Bangladesh's top-scorer and former captain Mominul Haque for 84.
India reached Stumps at 19 for 0 in eight overs after KL Rahul and Shubman Gill negated a trick period before bad light forced early Stumps.
