Is Umesh Yadav the next big bowler from India?

He can hardly speak a word in English and he has that raw, out-of-this world kind of expression on his face but Umesh Yadav can do one thing that most Indian fans have been desperately waiting for and that is, He bowls fast and I mean, consistently fast without looking as if he is really exerting himself. Playing for the Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2010, this young bowler from Bihar has been exemplary in his first stint in competitive cricket. Further, he has not even played for his state side on a consistent basis and yet, he can bowl steadily at around the 145 km/hr mark.If you are an Indian fan that much speed is perhaps the maximum that any Indian bowler has ever generated. If Yadav can put in some eye-catching performances in the domestic scene, it is just a matter of time before this lad will be seen sharing the new ball with Zaheer. Ishant Sharma must be thinking how fast can life turn around:(. However, he is still young and capable of making a comeback...at least, I hope so. There have been just too many disappointments in the past with the likes of Irfan Pathan falling apart. It is still a mystery what actually happened to the young Pathan who was supposed to be the next, Wasim Akram. However, there seems to be something more to Umesh than what meets the eye. Firstly, he doesn't really exert himself and yet, he hits the 140 Ks mark with regular ease. This does point to the potential of being quick in the league of someone like Brett Lee. But then again, these are very early days in his career and these are just the first impressions....keeping my fingers crossed. Further, his bowling action is such that he doesn't exert too much pressure on his back and lower limbs, something that has been the scourge for most of the quick bowlers over the last five years.

Siddle’s Energy Bursts Worth Watching

I remember some commentator saying that Peter Siddle was built like a small horse but his bowling performances are far better than to be horsing about the issue. He has incredible bouts of energy and seeing him bowl, almost makes you wish you were so athletic, packed with so much stamina and could do what he does best — constantly bowl at 142 + km/hr without showing any signs of drop in intensity or energy. Siddle reminds a bit of the young Ntini from SA who had started out in a very similar style but then eventually the workload of the balling probably slowed him down. Hillfenhaus, the other recently introduced Aussie bowler too is impressive but he is more of the McGrath type with a measured length and line being his main thing. Siddle is a bit like Brett Lee and Waqar Younis rolled into though his wickets tally usually don’t match the wicket-taking fame of these two ultra-quick bowlers.