'I have been Honestly Disappointed; But Not Reached That Frustration Level' : Jaydev Unadkat Hoped To Make It To The England Tour

Indian left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat spent more than ten years in the wilderness after a forgettable Test debut back in 2010. Jaydev Unadkat’s only Test came against South Africa at the Centurion, where he bowled 26 wicketless overs for 156 runs in a losing effort. But the 29-year old hoped to be on the plane to England for India’s upcoming tour after some compelling performances in the domestic circuit.

Since his Test debut in December 2010, Jaydev Unadkat has developed into a reliable left-arm seamer. The left-arm seamer, whose last match for India came in 2010, ended the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy as the highest wicket-taker with 67 wickets in ten games at 13.23 apiece for the Saurashtra, who he captained to their maiden title. Unadkat’s first-class career entails taking 327 scalps in 89 fixtures at 23.21 with 20 fifers and five ten-wicket hauls.

But Jaydev Unadkat’s performance did not warrant selection for the England tour as India’s first-choice bowlers in the 20-man squad, namely Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, and Shardul Thakur, were all fit. The Porbandar-born cricketer could not even find a place amongst the reserve players as the selectors opted for Praisdh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Arzan Nagwaswalla. Former Indian cricketer Dodda Ganesh also questioned Unadkat’s inclusion.

I’ll still take the disappointment positively to motivate myself to do better: Jaydev Unadkat

Jaydev Unadkat revealed that he hoped to make it to the England tour and he understands he has to wait for his chance since guys at the top level are performing well. However, the 29-year old felt disappointed on this occasion, but he vows to take it as a motivation to do better. Nevertheless, Unadkat clarified he has not reached that level of frustration since he thinks he has a lot of time in his hand as his Test debut came along as a teenager.

“I was hoping to make it to the England tour. As simple as that. I have said in the past that the guys who are at the top are doing well, so I have to wait for my chance. This time around, I have been honestly disappointed. I’ll still take the disappointment positively to motivate myself to do better. I haven’t reached that level of frustration for sure. As I look at it, it’s not now or never for me. When I say I am at my peak, it’s still four or five years more to remain at my peak. I am 29 and because I made my debut early, people consider me ‘old’. I was a teenager when I made my Test debut a decade ago, so I still have a lot of time. I am not that frustrated for sure,” Unadkat stated as quoted by News18.com.

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