In the recent past, the name Yash Dayal has been associated with a bowler who hid his face with a towel after he conceded five sixes, and failed to defend 28 runs in an IPL match.

On Sunday night he received a maiden Test call-up as India announced the squad for their first match against Bangladesh. Yash Dayal’s first call was to his father Chandarpal Dayal and the words were: “It took me two years to get India call again. This is for a Test match, the format you love the most.” In 2022, the Uttar Pradesh bowler was picked for the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh but was later ruled out due to a lower back issue.

“I have played cricket at a competitive level, so I understand what it means for him. Now Yash Dayal doesn’t show much emotion, since he was hit for the five sixes but if you ask him, playing Test cricket is like taking a dip in the sangam. It is the pure form of cricket,” Dayal Sr told The Indian Express.

Back in 2023, Kolkata Knight Riders’ Rinku Singh had hit Yash Dayal for five successive sixes – the thrashing would give him and his family life-long trauma. Yash would be the target of trolls and meme-makers.

Amit Pal, Yash Dayal’s childhood coach says that over has toughened him. “It was just not his day. But if every cricketer, who has played at that level have seen something like that in their career. Everyone remembers Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes and his all-round ability that helped us win the 2011 ODI World Cup, but the same cricketer was hit for five sixes by Dimitri Mascarenhas. Stuart Broad was the bowler, who Yuvraj hit six sixes, and he became one of the best Test bowler for England. Then Ben Stokes over against West Indies, where he was smashed for four consecutive sixes by Carlos Braithwaite. There are many such examples, did they stop playing cricket? No, they continued to work on their skills and came out a better cricketer,” said Pal.

Earlier this year, in a video posted by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Yash Dayal has spoken about the learning that he got from that one over.

“Mujhe reality se robaroo karwaya us over ne (It made me face realities of life),” he said. “That over was a big learning for me. That over taught me how to prepare for things that I am not prepared for. It also taught me how to tackle situations. I will always remember Ashish Nehra’s advice who told me in the team bus after the match ‘Jo ho gaya so ho gaya, abhi jo aage hai uspe focus kar. (What happened has happened, focus on what is ahead). Start working hard, more than what you are doing and you will get your results.'”

Those were the most difficult days for Yash Dayal and his family and he was written off.

“Everyone wrote him off. From the morning, I am receiving a number of congratulatory calls and messages. Still, no one is talking about his hard work, grind and the way he tackled the pressure. I have stopped bothering about those things. I have uninstalled my social media accounts,” said Chandarpal Dayal.

The three-way race

The Indian Express understands that there was a three way race between Yash Dayal, Arshdeep Singh and Khaleel Ahmad for the left-arm seamer spot in India’s squad for the Bangladesh Test.

“Look all three of them were good but two things that went in Yash’s favour was his experience of playing the red ball and his consistency. Yash Dayal has played more first-class cricket than both Arshdeep and Khaleel. And in the first round of the Duleep Trophy match, Arahdeep got a green top in Anantapur but he couldn’t make the most of it. Khaleel bowled well but at the same time was erratic, while Yash bowled with more control. He turned the game for India B in the second innings after he dismissed Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel in quick succession. Although in the first innings, he picked up only one wicket but didn’t gave away easy runs,” said a BCCI official.

Sunil Joshi, who Uttar Pradesh’s Ranji Trophy coach and was on the losing side in the Duleep Trophy match between India A vs India B, backs Yash Dayal to be picked for the Australian tour as well.

“I have seen his rise from the close quarters. I have worked with Arshdeep for two years at the Punjab Kings, Khaleel was in my team (India A) in this Duleep Trophy match and Yash is someone, who has been our go to bowler in the Ranji Trophy. I feel Yash stood out in the first round of the Duleep Trophy. All three of them are good, but Yash moves the ball both ways, he hits the deck hard and if fit he should be picked for the Australian tour,” said Joshi.

Meanwhile, back in Allahabad, Yash Dayal’s father, Chandarpal, a fast bowler himself and someone who has played in the Vizzy Trophy in the late 80s and early 90s lauded his son for bowling more attacking length.

“In the first innings, he looked a bit defensive and conservative. While in the second innings, he was aggressive. He needs to play with this mindset. I hope he will improve on this and will continue to look for wickets instead of keeping it tight,” he said.