“I have visualized getting a Test wicket over 1000 times,” says Jaydev Unadkat who got his first test wicket against Bangladesh

It was a historic moment for Indian pacer Jaydev Unadkat who made his return to the Indian test team after 12 years. However 12 years ago he went wicketless and had to wait more than a decade to pick his first wicket in test cricket. Unadkat was picked for the second Test match against Bangladesh in Chattogram as he finally got to cherish the moment of picking up a wicket in test cricket.

He dismissed Bangladeshi opener Zakir Hasan and the instant reaction on his face was of relief as he toiled very hard to get his first scalp in test cricket. India ultimately won the match and sealed the series and Unadkat was very satisfied by his performance. Speaking to PTI, the left arm pacer opened up on Zakir hasan’s dismissal. He said, “I was trying to extract bounce off length and I felt I could do that. The feeling (when it happened) will remain one of the most special memories of my cricketing career. Getting a Test wicket is something I visualized 1000 times.”

When KL Rahul came to the toss and said that the left arm pacer will be replacing Kuldeep Yadav who was adjudged the man of the match in the previous test, people were in shock. There were criticisms all over regarding Kuldeep Yadav’s omission. He was unplayable in the first Test and now he was dropped for Unadkat who is returning to Test cricket after 12 years.

Kuldeep picked up eight wickets in the last Test and was a big reason for India’s win over the Bangla Tigers. When Unadkat was asked about his selection in place of Kuldeep yada, the left arm pacer clarified that he did not feel any pressure replacing a match winner like yadav in the starting eleven.

“Absolutely not. When you don’t expect things and they happen, I take it in my stride. I just wanted to contribute. If not take a wicket then create pressure from the other end. That was the thought,” Unadkat opened up.

He shared how Domestic cricket has taught him to be mentally resilient and also believe in his abilities even when a bowler is not picking wickets, he can still make a strong impact by creating pressure. “Domestic cricket has helped me immensely that way. You always have a role to play as a bowler even when you aren’t getting the wickets. You can create pressure and put the batter in doubt and other bowlers can capitalize on that,” Unadkat concluded.