Saurashtra’s veteran speedster Jaydev Unadkat talked about the struggle of dealing with uncertain times during the pandemic which has cost him opportunities in the Ranji Trophy and the chance to return to the national set-up. When Unadkat was relishing the highs of winning Saurashtra the Ranji Trophy for the very first time in early 2020 […]
Saurashtra’s veteran speedster Jaydev Unadkat talked about the struggle of dealing with uncertain times during the pandemic which has cost him opportunities in the Ranji Trophy and the chance to return to the national set-up.
When Unadkat was relishing the highs of winning Saurashtra the Ranji Trophy for the very first time in early 2020 after a bagful of 67 wickets in the season, the pacer wouldn’t have imagined he will have to wait another two years before he could bowl in a first-class match again.
The 30-year-old pacer is one of many senior cricketers on the fringes of Test selection that have seen their hopes and dreams hurt badly by the global Covid-19 outbreak. Unadkat made his Test debut back in 2010 in Centurion in absence of Zaheer Khan but hasn’t added to his caps since then. He last played for India in any form of the game back in March 2018.
“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’,” Jaydev Unadkat revealed in an interview with ESPNcricinfo.
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Jaydev Unadkat topped the bowling chart for 2019-20 Ranji season with 67 wickets at an average of 13.23. (pic courtesy: Twitter)
It’s not that Jaydev Unadkat is excessively consumed by the thought of playing for India, however. The pacer says while it remains his ultimate goal, he is more driven by “immediate goals” at this stage of his career. This, including a long-awaited chance to play the Ranji Trophy, which was cancelled entirely last year and had an uncertain fate until Friday (January 28), when the BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed it will be played in two phases, starting February, split by IPL 2022.
“My goal is still to play for India, but I am not consumed by it like I was at the start of my career. I didn’t really enjoy winning a Ranji game back then like I do now. That was the turning point – I started enjoying every game I played. I tried to set more immediate goals, which made it a little more realistic and I could be in control of the situation. Selections are not in your hand,” Unadkat said.
Still, the pacer confessed he feels anxious and at unrest when he sees a gripping spell in a Test match on TV. Seeing the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood go about their business – setting up batters and getting them out – reminds Unadkat of what he has been missing for a long time.
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He said in such moments his wife Rinny, who is a lawyer, comes to his rescue and calms his nerves down, reassuring him that his time will come sooner rather than later. But the India cap and the Ranji matches have remained elusive.
Jaydev Unadkat unveiled that his conversations with BCCI selectors and NCA authorities have tended to revolve around his age and experience. A “senior player”, Unadkat has been told that it wouldn’t be right if he goes on tours as a net pacer or be part of the ‘A’ side at this stage of his over 10-year-long career and that such opportunities should go to younger men.
This seemed most apparent last year when despite his suitability to English conditions where he could’ve moved the red Dukes ball both ways, Unadkat wasn’t considered for inclusion in an extended touring party. Instead, the selectors gave the nod to younger left-arm pacer Arzan Nagwaswalla among the standby players.
“Last year I was part of a group of players shortlisted by the BCCI to attend a fitness camp at the NCA. That kind of thing obviously motivates you. And when you go there and coaches or selectors have a word with you, saying they are a looking at you or whatever, that could be very important for us players on the fringes. That has not happened to me until now,” Unadkat said.
“There have been times where I was told that they do not want me as a net bowler because I am a senior player and they want to give exposure to young bowlers as net bowlers. It has been especially tough when I see India travelling overseas with a large contingent,” he concluded.
