Veteran India player turned commentator Dinesh Karthik praised Team India pacers, Umesh Yadav, and Jaydev Unadkat after their impressive bowling performances on Day 1 of the second Test against Bangladesh on Thursday, December 22. Meanwhile, he believes that Jaydev Unadkat’s return to India’s Test team will inspire many players as the pacer has done well in domestic cricket to get back into the team again.
While speaking to Cribuzz, Karthik also added that Umesh has led the Indian pace attack in a great way in the absence of senior bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. He also shared that the right-arm pacer’s ability to extract reverse swing in Asian conditions separates him from the others as well.
“We spoke about Umesh Yadav being a high-quality bowler during the last Test,” Dinesh Karthik explained. “That’s exactly what happened this time as well. The fact that he stood up when the other bowlers were not there is something I really like about him. With the old ball, he is a treat to watch. The way he gets the ball to reverse, and the way he is able to control the reverse swing to both right-handers and left-handers, is phenomenal. He was sharp with the new ball, but with the old ball, he asked a lot of questions.”
Notably, Umesh Yadav was the pick of the fast bowlers on the opening day of the second Test, claiming four crucial wickets while giving away just 25 runs from his 15 overs as well. He also helped the team bundle out Bangladesh within 227. He also revealed how Umesh got the better of Nurul Hasan on Day 1 as well.
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“I loved the ball he bowled to dismiss Nurul Hasan. He was beaten for pace, and the ball just skidded through. Anyone with a slingy action always gets the ball to skid through. That is Umesh Yadav’s strength. With his action, he gets the ball to come back in much later, and that is one of the main reasons why he has taken so many wickets,” he again shared.
While talking about Unadkat, he praised that he deserves praise for all the hard work he has done so far over the years. He applauded the left-arm pacer for contributing well to the Saurashtra team. He also shared that the veteran kept delivering impressive performances despite having to play on flat pitches in domestic cricket as well.
“Jaydev Unadkat is a great example of somebody who has persevered and gone through the ups and downs of life like anyone else, but stuck with it and got better. They say leaders should obviously walk the talk, and that’s exactly what he has done for Saurashtra. Getting wickets day after day on flat tracks, making sure that he is leading the pack. He has groomed Chetan Sakariya over a period of time. Hats off to him! He has been a champion in every way,” he added again.
“It is a bigger message. It’s one of perseverance and discipline. It’s about being a leader. The message is to try to sustain and be fit year after year. Even in the IPL, when Unadkat played for RPSG, he single-handedly took them to the finals in one season. He has gained great confidence from playing domestic cricket. Domestic cricket is a very hard place. When you play international cricket, there are millions watching you, when you play domestic cricket, there are at times just two dogs watching you who also belong to the groundsmen. The only motivation is how you push yourself to achieve what you want to achieve,” Dinesh Karthik further shared.
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Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik has also stated that he was pleased to see India give Jaydev Unadkat a chance to prove his skill in the second Test, and he did well too. The veteran has also claimed that the pacer has evolved a lot, given that he is able to hit the seam on an constant basis.
“The biggest smile of the day for me was seeing Jaydev Unadkat’s name in the playing XI. I genuinely thought that he wouldn’t get a game on this trip. But things just worked out well for him. He wasn’t even around for the last Test match due to visa issues. It’s good to see him coming back and bowling the spell that he bowled first-up and getting the amount of bounce that he extracted. Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj got the hard new ball. But when Unadkat came in, he was able to lift the ball from length. That can only happen when you hit the seam. That is the difference between Jaydev Unadkat in 2010 and Jaydev Unadkat in 2022,” Dinesh Karthik concluded.
