Umesh Yadav returns to action in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

Umesh Yadav, the India fast bowler, will return to competitive cricket when he takes the field for Vidarbha in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Odisha on Thursday in Indore. He last played for India in the Ahmedabad Test in November 2012 before a stress reaction of the back sidelined him. Yadav said he will be selective and will manage his workload in the IPL that follows.

"This will be my first competitive game in four months," Yadav told PTI. "Irrespective of the amount of effort you put in at the nets, there is no substitute to match practice. Tomorrow, I will get an idea about how I am shaping up. I am planning to play all the group league games, which are on successive days, which will provide me with an idea as to how my body is holding up."

Yadav also said he will take it easy during the IPL and will monitor his workload properly, lest he puts his back under too much pressure too soon. "I have fully recovered from my lower-back injury. I will be available from the first match for Delhi Daredevils, but considering the number of matches and the amount of travel involved, I need to be careful about the workload and will speak to the coaches regarding that." The Daredevils play their first match on April 3.

Yadav resumed bowling in the first week of March, and has been under the supervision of the specialists at the National Cricket Academy. "I didn't want to rush my comeback," Yadav said. "When I first started bowling, it was off a four-step run-up. Gradually, I increased it to eight steps, and from there to 12 steps. Now I am bowling with my full run-up, which is 16 steps."