IPL speed freak Mayank Yadav set to tear apart Australia’s top order

Australia’s ageing top order could have its reflexes tested by the rampaging force of one of the quickest bowlers cricket has seen - and they’re not the only ones who should be alarmed.

Australia’s ageing top order could have its reflexes tested by the rampaging force of one of the quickest bowlers cricket has seen this century.

Mayank Yadav is being tipped to tour Australia this summer as the 21-year-old thunderbolt continues to destroy batsmen.

He has been the find of this year’s Indian Premier League under the direction of his coach Justin Langer.

Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green were steamrolled by the extreme pace of a man who has hit a top speed of 156.7km/h in the IPL this season.

He is consistently clocking 150km/h plus to rank as one of the fastest bowlers in the history of the tournament.

The scariest part is that Brett Lee, one of the most electric fast bowlers Australia has produced, believes Yadav isn’t done yet and could add another 4km or 5km to his speeds with a couple of minor tweaks to his action.

Lucknow Super Giants' Mayank Yadav is among the quickest bowlers in world cricket. Picture: AFP

All this could be coming at Australia like a bullet this summer.

Yadav has only played one first-class match but respected The Australian columnist Bharat Sundaresan said India would include him for its five-Test tour that starts in November.

“It’s not just pace. he’s got something about him,” Sundaresan said. “He’s accurate and he takes wickets.”

The all-round flexibility provided by Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant in the Indian batting order could give India the opportunity to unleash a wildcard like Yadav as part of a four-pronged pace attack in Australia.

When you have three other quicks in the line-up, you can use the fourth as a 13-over-a-day hit man and get maximum impact out of him as a strike weapon.

England firebrand Mark Wood showed in last year’s Ashes that you don’t need to play many Tests to change the course of a series if you are consistently bowling 150km/h heat.

Wood didn’t enter the Ashes until the third Test yet turned the series on its head as the point of difference between the two teams.

Lucknow Super Giants' Naveen-ul-Haq and teammate Mayank Yadav talk during the IPL clash with Punjab Kings. PIcture: AFP

Langer lost two series at home to India as Australian coach and now unwittingly might be helping to engineer a third ambush for India as he guides Yadav through his breakout IPL at his undefeated Lucknow Super Giants.

India has a great history of unearthing raw talents and then having the fearlessness to pick them.

Yadav’s delivery to Australia’s No.4 batsman Green in Lucknow’s defeat of Bangalore on Tuesday night in the IPL will be tough to beat as the moment of the tournament, even just a few days in.

Green barely had time to set himself before his off bail had been removed and the ball flown to the back fence.

In eight overs in the IPL, Yadav has almost hit 157km/h and has a slowest delivery of 139km/h. Most quicks would be proud to have that as their average pace.

Only Shaun Tait (157.7km/h), Lockie Ferguson (157.3km/h) and fellow Indian Umran Malik (157km/h) have bowled quicker balls in the history of the IPL.

“The Wild Thing” Shaun Tait, pictured playing for Australia at the 2007 World Cup, is one of three men to hit the 157kph mark in the IPL.

The emergence of Yadav and Malik also threatens the big money Australian quicks might command in the IPL in the future.

Mitchell Starc ($4 million) and Pat Cummins ($3 million) are prized commodities in the IPL because they offer something local quicks traditionally haven’t been able to muster.

But as every year passes, the production line of elite Indian talent continues to expand and in a decade’s time India might be as well known for fast bowling as it is for producing spinners and Test batsmen.

Yadav’s dad was a massive fan of West Indian pace great Curtley Ambrose, so the young man has grown up dreaming of bruising bodies and taking wickets for his country.

Australia will be praying he is made to wait for that date.

His destiny will be based on the way he has taken the IPL by storm.

Originally published as IPL speed freak Mayank Yadav set to tear apart Australia’s top order