Umesh: It is very difficult bowling on this track

"It is unlike a typical Chennai wicket. England got some quick runs, but the ball is not turning that much. That is the problem," said the Indin speedster.

Umesh Yadav celebrates after dismissing Adil Radhid.

After a back-breaking stint, bowling quick on a placid track, Umesh Yadav spoke about pace still being his ace and the immediate challenge of staying alive in the fifth Test.

The Indian speedster conceded that it wasn’t easy for the bowling unit. “It is very difficult to bowl on this track because the ball is not turning that much. It is unlike a typical Chennai wicket. England got some quick runs, but the ball is not turning that much. That is the problem, we can't get wickets and the momentum,” he said.

Listen to Umesh Yadav's interaction with the media

Queried about the short-ball strategy used against Moeen Ali, albeit a bit late after the batsman had gone well past his hundred, Umesh explained: “The plan is already there. Yesterday (Friday) the fast bowlers didn't bowl that much. Today (Saturday) we thought, talked to the captain and coaches. After some time we made a plan that we will bowl short to Moeen and make sure he plays all the balls. We wanted to bowl to his left shoulder and after that we got the momentum, after that he tried to pull some balls. Yeah, it is good for the team actually.”

Umesh stressed that he is trying to fuse pace with accuracy. “My strength is my pace. Now I am trying to control my line and length and also learning from my past mistakes. I have kept bowling and bowling and that's why I am getting better now,” he said.

On the match’s context, he added: “If we bat well and long, obviously we will try to bowl them out in the next innings. Let's see how the wicket behaves, if it turns after the third day. I think there is still some interest left in the game.”

The speedster also clarified that the team is not missing a specialised bowling coach. “It doesn't matter that much but still we need coaches who can help us during the bad sessions. Anil (Kumble) Bhai and Sanjay Bangar are there. They know about bowling. Sanjay Bangar was a medium-pacer, he bowled lots in his time. His ideas are also good.,” Umesh said besides lauding Ishant Sharma’s role as the emerging mentor within the squad.

When a correspondent pointed out that he reportedly clocked 160 kmph, Umesh was stunned. “Nobody told me that I have bowled 160. I feel that this is a little too much!”