Nagpur is an archaic region – a region where cars are still looked upon like space ships,where farmer suicides are daily affairs and where people dwell in room sized abodes. This town is India’s geographical centre. It is from this part of the world, arguably India’s fastest ever bowler hails . Hurling tennis bowls at express pace, Umesh Yadav spent his childhood playing no leather ball cricket. His father was a coal miner and the family lived in a settlement for coal miners. Life was tough breaking even was luxury.

Umesh Yadav could pursue his education beyond class 12. Yadav’s father did not want his youngest son to end up as a coal miner , hence requested him to do something with his life . Umesh tried to join the army but was rebuffed. He then attempted to get into police service but missed it by a whisker. He had nothing else to do .All avenues in his life seemed to have been closed. He would spend day in, day out bowling fast with the tennis ball.

A victory for his team or a man of the match award would earn him 8- 10,000 Indian rupees, which would be adequate for a month or two. Realising that tennis ball cricket would not earn him much , he tried to take up leather ball cricket . An attempt to get into his college cricket team became a failure since he played no club cricket.

So he joined the Vidarbha Cricket association. He bowled without shoes sans spikes and got 3 for 37. Soon , words about a rookie , raw paced bowler started doing rounds around the Vidarbha Cricket Association . A cinematic, fairy tale ascend began and Yadav whistled up the rungs. Within months of playing with a leather ball , Yadav made his first class debut . He rose like a rocket off its launch pad.

In Duleep trophy that followed the fast bowler picked up fire for which included the wickets of Dravid and Laxman. The seamer had an athletic body. He was burly and had a shoulder girdle – a rarity among Indian pacers . His express pace and lethal Yorkers and bouncers soon earned him a berth in the Indian line up.

A son of a coal miner was soon bought by Delhi Daredevils for $30,000 in 2008. He made his ODI debut in 2010 and test debut in 2011 and then he was bought by Kolkata knight riders for 6 crores and later he was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for 6.5 crores.

Umesh Yadav is one of the top bowler in Test cricket. In the recent day – night test at the Eden gardens his spell will remain as one of the memorable spell in test cricket. Umesh took 5 wickets in second innings of first pink ball test schedule in India . Being the country’s fastest bowler Umesh Yadav would be one of India’s key weapon in World test Championship.

By the team SPORTS VILLA

1.Shereya pal ,2. Arunika Bhattacharyya, 3.Pranjal Agarwal, 4. Rajdeep pal, 5.Suddhasatta Singha Roy, 6. Faiz Ali.