The Indian left-arm fast bowler, Jaydev Unadkat is playing his second Test after a gap of 12 years and six days, and he got his maiden wicket after bowling 179 deliveries. It is the longest wait between two Test matches by an Indian both in terms of years and Test matches missed and the second-longest in the world behind England’s Gareth Batty. Unadkat, however, would say, it was worth the wait. He had big shoes to fill.
Jaydev Unadkat replaced Kuldeep Yadav in India’s XI for the second Test and the spinner register the career-best figures of 8 for 113 and was adjudged Player of the Match in India’s 188-run win. But Unadkat started off hitting the perfect areas, troubling both the Bangladesh left-handed opening batters Najmul Hossian Shanto and Zakir Hasan.
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In his next over, he beat the outside edge of Zakir Hasan. He started his third over by beating Shanto’s outside edge twice. There was an event on every ball that Unadkat bowled. After peppering the outside edge for his first three overs, Unadkat managed to get one to jag back sharply from a length in his fourth and rapped Shanto on the front pad.
There was a huge appeal but was turned down. After a brief discussion with Rishabh Pant, India’s stand-in captain KL Rahul decided not to go for the review and it was the right call, the movement would have taken the ball away from the left stump, replays showed. But Unadkat was getting close.
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A couple of balls later, Jaydev Unadkat used his height and high release point to extract an awkward bounce from the good-length area to get Hasan in a tangle. He failed to control his attempted cut shot and gloved it up in the air. Rahul, standing in the slip cordon took an easy catch.
Here is the video of the dismissal:
— Guess Karo (@KuchNahiUkhada) December 22, 2022
Jaydev Unadkat had both his arms in the air, closed his eyes, and let it sink in. It was a long wait and it finally came. In that brief moment, all those lonely days of toiling hard in domestic cricket must have trickled in front of him. They all seemed worth it.
