New Delhi: Indian cricket team's young left-arm pace bowler Jaydev Unadkat made his Test debut at the age of just 19. The speedster played his first-ever international Test match for the national team in South Africa. After that, he played seven ODIs and 10 T20I games for India, but hasn't been picked in the team for the red-ball format.
One of the big reasons behind selectors ignoring Jaydev is presence of in-form bowlers like Bumrah, Shami, Ishant, Siraj, and Umesh Yadav, making it tough for him to bag a spot in India's Test team.
The last time out-of-favor Unadkat played a match for India was in 2018. Since then, he has done consistently well in domestic cricket. Unadkat also made Saurashtra Ranji Trophy winners under his captaincy, but hasn't been able to make a comeback in the national team.
In the last Ranji season, he took a whopping 67 wickets. Even after this, he failed to bag a spot in the Test team. Unadkat shared an anecdote when India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin messaged him to sympathize with him after the pace bowler was ignored for India's last Australian tour. It is the same tour during which literally every reserve player got a chance to play in the India-Australia four-match Test series.
“On January 2, last year Ashwin bhai [R Ashwin] texted me during the last Australia tour, where nearly every member of the squad, including the reserve bowlers, got a chance to play the four-Test series [because of injuries]. He said: “I feel for you and the way you have performed in the last [Ranji] season. But be right where you are in terms of your game and your mindset. Your time will come,” Unadkat told ESPNCricinfo.
“The last time I was in the Indian dressing room was during the 2018 Nidahas Trophy. The last time I went on tour with India A was in 2016. I’m not losing sleep thinking about the next India call-up, but I am holding my breath about returning to play red-ball cricket. Please make it happen!” Unadkat added.