Excerpts from the interview...

Do you feel you are a different bowler now?

Aisa kuchh nahi hai

How do you keep yourself motivated when you have to sit out so often?

How has life changed off the field after playing for India for nearly nine years?

How much has the culture of fast bowling changed in Indian cricket?

Do you think the success of this pace attack reflects on the type of pitches you now get in India?

You spoke about changing your grip. Can you elaborate because there has been a lot of talk about your waywardness?

You have been branded as a red-ball specialist…

How difficult is to switch to white ball?

NEW DELHI: Umesh Yadav was one of the first bowlers identified to bring about the fast-bowling revolution in India. For the larger part of his career, he has blown hot and cold. Now that India has a ruthless pack to intimidate batsmen around the world with pace and guile, Umesh finds himself at back end of the pack.He has managed to stay in the scheme of things and has now been making every opportunity count. The recent Test season at home is a testimony to his perseverance and evolution as a fast bowler.The Vidarbha paceman talked to TOI about his evolution, the long wait for opportunities, change in the nature of Indian pitches, being part of the leading pack and more.. (Nothing like that). People think that there are a lot of different things happening with my bowling. It depends on the number of matches I play. I don't get many matches. I have played most of my cricket at home in the last two years. When you keep playing matches, you have a rhythm. Bowling on those 22 yards helps you to learn more and grow - it helps you to sustain the rhythm. You start reading the game better when you are playing regularly.When we are travelling and I don't get a game, it all comes down to the mindset. If I don't have control over my thought process, then it will start affecting my game. When you don't get a game, you tend to feel a bit sad. I know the bowlers who are playing are also getting 20 wickets. So I need to wait for my chances. I have to keep thinking that when I get my chance, I'll grab it. I can't be negative and be resigned to my fate. I try to pick up things while sitting outside and implement that in the nets.I just ensure that I spend more time with people who are positive. That helps me to be in a good space. I have a routine and I follow that. I make sure I am not idle for much long. Because when you sit idle, all kinds of negative things cross your mind. I work out what things I need to do after interacting with my friends. I am light-hearted guy. I like to be around positive people who help me keep going at any level of cricket - domestic, India A or IPL. I try to be in the zone.It feels nice when people talk about fast bowlers. People earlier talked about spinners when we played at home. They assumed the pitch would start taking turn early. Fast bowlers usually bowled with the new ball and were brought back when there was reverse swing on offer. Our job was to roughen up the ball for the spinners. Spinners even started with the new ball. It is satisfying to know that now we are looked at as bowlers who could bowl all day. When this crop of fast bowlers came together, all five of us decided we are not here to just rough up the ball for spinners. We started thinking wickets. This ensured we got the new ball.It's important to have good pitches for good contests. When there's even a bit of a contest between bowlers and batsmen, then the quality of cricket improves and people love that. You need challenging conditions. There needs to be fair carry in the pitches. Fast bowlers need to be in the game. There is a change in mindset because people now value the importance of fast bowlers.It all depends on the conditions you play in. I felt the tip of my index finger didn't get behind the seam enough. So when you try to push the ball, it tends to sway towards the leg stump. It also negates the swing. It happens more with the red ball.The white-ball season has just started. You can see Bhuvneshwar, Shami, Kuldeep are getting back in the team. If I continue to do well, I may also get back in white-ball cricket.There's a lot of difference. In Tests, batsmen take their time and then you have to figure out a way to get them. But the red ball does something all day. So it's not easy to score either. The white ball doesn't do much after three-four overs. That's why you have to go for wickets with the new ball. Batsmen are always aggressive in white-ball cricket. Bowlers need to cash in.