After impressive domestic and IPL season, Jaydev Unadkat eyes Team India recall

Mumbai: A day after turning a year older, Jaydev Unadkat offered a perfect birthday treat to the spectators in Mumbai with a fine all-round performance for the Board President XI side in the second warm-up game against New Zealand on Thursday.

Kane Williamson's men clinched a 33-run victory in the end, but the visitors were left biting their nails in the middle when the lanky all-rounder offered some fireworks with the bat, smoking 44 runs in just 24 deliveries, courtesy of 5 boundaries and two biggies.

For Unadkat, it's been a skill that he has been working upon in order to offer a new dimension.

“I did (add a new dimension to my game). I was batting well since the last two season in domestics but I have got the confidence and I am happy that it is coming on the bigger stage and today’s innings will boost my confidence. I will definitely looking to add that dimension (of batting) to my game because that is what is the need of the hour, a bowler who can bat and slog well is always beneficial to the team, so that’s all what I can do from my side and put in efforts, ” Unadkat said after the match.

The 26-year-old was a vital cog in Rising Pune Supergiant’s (RPS) run to the final, during the 2016-17 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Saurashtra all-rounder finished just 2 wickets behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the race for the Purple cap.

Unadkat wasn't even in the picture before an injury to primary bowler Ashok Dinda opened the doors of opportunity for him.

“The way I was bowling in the IPL did give me a lot of confidence, and sometimes it’s all about confidence for a bowler. I am looking in good rhythm and I am confident of bowling what I want to bowl. It's coming out of the hand nicely, that is what is important for me, a bowler who hits the deck hard, looks to swing the ball early and my variations like I bowled in the IPL. The confidence is helping me perform in many ways. All is looking good for me and I need to continue,” he remarked with a smile.

Its been a rollercoaster ride for the Porbandar pacer, who just played two games in his last two IPL editions, one each for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders.

Not only has Unadkat been clinical with his conventional left-arm swing, but he has also added different variations to his arsenal that saw RPS skipper Steve Smith turn to him even in the most crunch situations.

“I did improve a lot. In the IPL, I was bowling those variations really well, it was an area which I was working on. I knew in T20, my strength is variations and to get that in the matches is what I was looking for in the last couple of years since I wasn’t getting many opportunities in the IPL and my batting as well,” the left-arm pacer explained.

Team India bowling coach Bharat Arun previously revealed that the management is still in search of a quality left-arm fast pacer and Unadkat has already emerged as one of the top candidates for the position.

“It’s a good thing that to be in radar of the selectors or the team management. It motivates you, pushes you to do even harder, to get that place in the (Indian) team. I have played for the country in the past and I know what it takes to be there. I have put in all the efforts I found out when I played for the country a couple of years back. So to keep developing as a player is all I can do and I hope that I can get a chance to play for the country and prove myself. I got the chance because I deserved it and am good enough to bowl, ” Unadkat asserted.

There were doubts whether Unadkat would continue bowling after he suffered a career-threatening back injury in 2014, which many spectators believed was due to his bowling action. He bounced back in style the following year, claiming 40 wickets in the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy season.

“For a fast bowler, it is important to get stronger, to be in good rhythm and remain injury free. I am still at an age where I can build my mass and survive for a longer period of time in the game. For a couple of years, my aim would be to still get stronger and build a base where I don’t get injured. I have not been injured in the past couple of seasons, to keep that going and develop those variations.”

With performances like these, both on the domestic and national front, it might not take much time before we see Unadkat don the blue jersey for India.