India vs Bangladesh: Unexpected recall of Jaydev Unadkat to Test squad
With Mohammed Shami ruled out of the ODI series against Bangladesh due to a shoulder injury, there was always a slim chance he’d be fit for the Test series, and now we know who will be the player replacing him in the Test squad – Jaydev Unadkat.
BCCIThat’s a massive call in so many ways, especially given Unadkat has only ever played one Test for India – and that came back in 2010.
And in many ways, there is an argument to be made that if anyone deserved this call-up, it was Unadkat. After all, he’s been a remarkably consistent performer in the domestic circuit.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dear red ball, please give me one more chance.. I’ll make you proud, promise! <a href="https://t.co/ThPUOpRlyR">pic.twitter.com/ThPUOpRlyR</a></p>— Jaydev Unadkat (@JUnadkat) <a href="https://twitter.com/JUnadkat/status/1478406364170915843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A quick look at his numbers in recent times makes that clear. When Vidarbha won their first-ever Ranji Trophy title in the 2019-20 season, Unadkat was one of the main reasons.
That season saw him pick up 67 wickets; a bowler took the second most wickets in a single season of India’s premier first-class tournament – all while captaining the team, no less.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The selection committee has also added fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat to India’s squad for the Test series.<br><br>More details here - <a href="https://t.co/LDfGOYmMkz">https://t.co/LDfGOYmMkz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BANvIND?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BANvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/beOdgO2SYX">https://t.co/beOdgO2SYX</a></p>— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1601938852482277376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The last three seasons of the Ranji Trophy have been highly productive for him, as he’s taken 115 wickets in 21 matches.
And since January 2019, he’s been bowling at an average of 16.03 – the best in all first-class cricket during that period.
So in many ways, Unadkat’s recall can be seen as deserved. However, it also exposes a few issues with the Indian cricket system – that there are no young fast bowlers in the domestic circuit.
In many ways, that has been obvious for a while. One only needs to look at all the batters plundering runs across formats to understand that, while the batters are all good, they aren’t precisely facing quality bowlers in the domestic circuit.
There are various reasons for this – India’s best bowlers are either playing for the national team or being used as net bowlers rather than improving their skills in the grind of the domestic circuit.
Then there’s also the fact that many promising prospects will often not play domestic cricket regularly to stay fit for the Indian Premier League – and this serves two purposes.
They know a few good showings in the IPL will fast-track them to the national team and boost their bank balances. It’s an understandable stance in many ways.
But it also means that India’s talent pool in pace bowling is dwindling, and there’s no actual supply chain of quick bowlers coming through.
And Unadkat has a stellar domestic record but has consistently flattered to deceive in the IPL – where many top talents have taken him to the cleaners.
So turning back to a player who is now in his 30s and has been a dominant performer in the domestic circuit is not a good sign.
In fact, it is a sign that India needs to act now and fix a problem that has been staring them in their face for a while.