BAN v IND 2022: WATCH- ‘Visualized my first Test wicket 1000 times’- Unadkat on his performance in 1st innings

Unadkat played a Test again for India for the first time since 2010.

By Jatin Sharma - 23 Dec, 2022

Jaydev Unadkat was overjoyed on getting a chance to represent India in Test cricket once more, that too 12 years after his first appearance which came in South Africa in 2010 when he was 19 years old. At that time, he couldn’t pick any wicket in his Test debut.

On his Test debut, Unadkat had gone for more than 100 runs in 26 wicketless overs with Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers scoring hundreds and Jacques Kallis hitting a double century.

But Unadkat, who was recalled into the Indian Test squad for the Bangladesh series thanks to his amazing outings in domestic cricket, wasn’t going to let this opportunity go when he was named in the Indian XI for the second Test in Dhaka.

He picked the first wicket of Bangladesh to fall, as he got Zakir Hasan caught in slips for his first Test wicket. He finished with 2 wickets to his name, the second being that of experienced Mushfiqur Rahim.

BAN v IND 2022: Sunil Gavaskar hails Jaydev Unadkat after his terrific comeback in Test cricket

Talking about his maiden Test wicket to BCCI, Unadkat said: "I did manifest it, I visualised it more than a 1000 times and there was a moment when I actually missed playing with the red ball. I went blank when I took that wicket, I have visualised this moment maybe 1000 times in between when I played the first Test and now. I didn't get a wicket back then and that was the talk every time people talked about me getting an opportunity again for the Indian team.”

In between the two matches, Unadkat missed more than a century of Tests (118), the second-highest in world cricket. Only England's Gareth Batty (142) has missed more matches between two games in the history of Test cricket.

"Honestly, it wasn't just about getting that Test recall, but it was also about getting to play the Ranji Trophy season again. All these years I have developed my skills with the red ball. So that I get that confidence whenever I'm on the field," he added.

Bangladesh was bowled out for 227 runs on day one with Unadkat taking 2/50, while Umesh Yadav and R Ashwin took four wickets apiece.

(PTI inputs)

By Jatin Sharma - 23 Dec, 2022

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