Umesh Yadav Recalls His First Encounter Versus Rahul Dravid-VVS Laxman, Says I Was Terrified to Bowl Against Them

India fast bowler Umesh Yadav on Sunday revealed he was terrified when he got to know that he would be bowling to batting greats Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman in a domestic match early in his career. Dravid and Laxman are widely regarded as two of the finest batsmen to grace the game and Umesh referred to it as a terrifying moment for him personally when he came to know he had to bowl to them.

The 32-year-old recalled the Duleep Trophy 2008-09 match between Central Zone and South Zone in which he was up against Dravid and Laxman. Excited about the thought of playing in a reputed tournament like Duleep Trophy, Umesh said he was terrified when he got the squad information of South Zone.

"When I went to play the Duleep Trophy match and got to know the team I would be playing against and I would be bowling against the likes of (Rahul) Dravid and (VVS) Laxman... I was terrified," Yadav said on Cricbuzz's Youtube chat show 'Spicy Pitch'.

In the match, Yadav, playing for Central Zone, dismissed Laxman for 13 and Dravid for 7 in the first innings and bagged a five-wicket haul. Sixteen months later, he made his debut for India in an ODI match against Zimbabwe in May 2010.

"I had never imagined that I would bowl such a fine spell under such a pressure situation. I took a 5-wicket haul and got the big wickets of Dravid and Laxman. That gave me immense confidence," the 32-year-old said.

"People say that their situation is tough, or they've seen such a hard life and struggled their way here. I say everyone has a hard life, no one has it easy. The main thing is to have faith and if you believe in yourself you'll find success and the space you need in your life, there's nothing else to it," he added.

Yadav has so far played 46 Tests for India after making his debut in 2011, claiming 144 wickets. He has featured in 75 ODIs for India and picked up 106 wickets.