The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Yadav back on track

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 29, 2005

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Sport - Cricket

Yadav back on track

Sports Reporter

Bangalore: Jai Prakash Yadav is back on track. The lanky Railways all-rounder helped his team win the Ranji Trophy last season and proved to be Central Zone's talisman in its successful bid to regain the Duleep Trophy.

Yadav now believes that a comeback to the Indian team is a distinct possibility. "I cannot get in purely as a batsman and I cannot get in purely as a bowler, but the fact that I am an all-rounder goes in my favour.

"I got over 50 wickets and more than 600 runs last season and since my performance was good, it means I may get a chance with the Indian team this year," Yadav told the media during the course of the conditioning camp for fast bowlers in progress at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here.

Yadav's performance last season was a welcome progress for a player who faded out after two One-Day Internationals against the West Indies in 2002.

"I am basically a swing bowler and I am working on it. Here in the camp I bowled to Rahul Dravid and Greg Chappell made a few suggestions to me. I am also learning a bit from trainer Gregory King and this camp will have a positive effect on my performance in the coming days," Yadav said.

The second day of the camp alternated between sessions in the National Cricket Academy gym and bowling stints at the nets. All the 15 bowlers shortlisted were present and watching them closely were Chappell and Dravid.

After King put the bowlers through their paces, it was time for some of them to test their mettle against Dravid, who essayed confident shots but was also beaten a few times by rookies Joginder Sharma and Gagandeep Singh.

Later, Dravid and Chappell had a long chat in the middle and soon it was time for the speedsters to rush to the swimming pool and cool off. Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra did not bowl and instead focussed on their fitness regimen.

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