Umesh Yadav to replace Shardul Thakur for first two West Indies ODIs

Medium-pacer Shardul Thakur, whose Test debut was hampered by injury, has been ruled out of the ODI series against West Indies and will be replaced by Umesh Yadav. Thakur suffered a right abductor tendon injury and had bowled only 10 deliveries on the opening morning of the second Test against West Indies in Hyderabad.

As soon as he delivered that 10th ball, it had seemed like his front foot had buckled upon landing and the pain was evident. At that point, it was said to be a pain in the groin area. Thakur was subsequently taken away for scans, putting his participation in the rest of the Test in doubt. He did not return to bowl in the rest of the match but came out to bat at No. 11 and faced 12 deliveries.

Though only five ODIs and seven T20Is old, apart from his only Test, Thakur has had an injury-riddled start to his international career. He had been ruled out of the Asia Cup too with right hip and groin soreness after playing only one match, against Hong Kong. Before that, he had played only the final ODI on the tour of England, spending the entire Test series that followed on the bench.

Umesh hasn't been a consistent part of the ODI side recently. He played two ODIs in England but was left out of the Asia Cup squad. He played three one-day games for Vidarbha in the meantime but could not manage more than a wicket in each of the games, finishing with figures of 1 for 72, 1 for 70 and 0 for 39.

Left to shoulder the burden as India's only fast bowler in the absence of Thakur in Hyderabad, Umesh impressed with a match haul of 10 for 133, his career-best. It was a performance that earned him the Man-of-the-Match award, and a vote of confidence from the captain Virat Kohli for the Australia tour at the end of the year.