When the India A squad for the three unofficial Tests against New Zealand was announced many were left surprised by the non-selection of left arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat. He has been performing consistently in Ranji Trophy yet has been ignored for India A call ups as well as the national side.

Jaydev Unadkat made his Test debut in 2010 against South Africa at 18-years of age. Since then he hasn't played a single Test match even after performing consistently in domestic red-ball cricket. Unadkat's numbers in multi-day cricket is mind-boggling. He has taken 336 wickets in 92 First Class games at an average of 23.26 and a strike-rate of 47.4.

Yet the left-arm seamer has failed to make it to the Indian squad somehow. In the last couple of years India has picked big squads for every series they have played, be it at home or away, they have even picked quite a lot of net bowlers who have toured with the team. The best example is that of T Natarajan who was picked as a net bowler for the Australia tour but went onto feature in all the three-formats for the country on the same tour.

Unadkat's Form In Red Ball Cricket

Talking about Unadkat is important. More because he has done everything a player can do to knock on the doors of the national selectors. He bowls in and out at Rajkot, a venue with a reputation for being a haven for batters, on the domestic circuit. While the batters feel relaxed on a flat pitch they still appear to be trapped season after season by Unadkat's spells.

In the 2020 Ranji Trophy season where he led Saurashtra to the Title he picked up 65 wickets at an average of 12.16, and a strike-rate of 25.6. His tally of 65 wickets is the highest by any pacer in a single edition of the competition. Even in the curtailed Ranji season this year he picked up 9 wickets in 3 games.

Unadkat has the second-best average and the best strike rate in the Indian domestic scene since the 2013–14 Ranji season. Reverse swing has been the best weapon for Unadkat on the surfaces of Rajkot,

"I got a couple of fifers in Rajkot on flat wickets where I really bowled my heart out. The only plan there was to reverse the ball. If you're playing in Rajkot, it's bound to reverse, and if you have the skills it can reverse in 15-20 overs," he had said in an interview during the 2020 Ranji season.

The Game Changing Spell

Anyone who followed the semi-final of the 2020 Ranji Trophy season would remember how Unadkat literally turned things around for his side. In the first innings of the game, he dismissed star players like Rujul Bhatt, Dhruv Raval, and Priyank Panchal. Unadkat was at it again, producing a seven-wicket haul as he single-handedly guided the team to the finals despite having to defend a less-than-convincing total in the final innings.

After Parthiv Patel and Chirag Gandhi added 158 runs for the sixth wicket, Saurashtra found themselves in a precarious situation. Unadkat, who had led the early top-order destruction, came back to dismiss Parthiv, Axar Patel on the ensuing ball, and Chirag Gandhi shortly after to give Saurashtra the victory.

This was Unadkat's seventh five-wicket haul of the year in 15 innings, or one every game. His tally of 7 five-wicket hauls is also a record.

Unadkat's Ability To Make Comebacks

It wasn't the first time Unadkat had a real breakthrough season for his Ranji side. Due to a stress fracture he sustained in 2014, he was forced to miss a significant amount of time from playing. He returned in the 2015–16 Ranji Trophy season with a bang and picked up 40 wickets, including four five-wicket hauls, to propel Saurashtra to the finals. He excelled in the semifinal against Assam as he took 11 wickets in the match.

If anything these instances show that Unadkat has a big heart and he has leadership abilities,

"I am someone who loves taking on leadership roles. I've loved it since I was quite young. I am fortunate that I'm playing for a team like Saurashtra. It's not a team with lots of 'big' players, it's a well-knit unit, and it's always good to captain a side like that", Unadkat had revealed in the same interview.

The Disappointment Of Not Getting Picked For India

In the last couple of years Navdeep Saini has been in and around the Indian Test team despite being injury prone, while the likes of Arzan Nagwaswalla, Karthik Tyagi have been picked as net bowlers for overseas tours, while Unadkat is still waiting for that second chance.

“I expect that selection in the India team when I am at my peak now, when I have performed the way I have, I was hoping I’ll get the call somewhere down the line", Unadkat had told Sportsstar in an interview after being ignored for the England tour last year. "Now for the England tour, I was hoping for it. As simple as that. I have been honest in the past when I have said 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,” he had further stated.

Unadkat recently featured in the Duleep Trophy game for West Zone against North East Zone and picked up 4 wickets in the first innings. NE Zone is not the toughest challenge in domestic cricket but as the domestic season goes deeper, Unadkat would hope to make a mark once again. If Unadkat has a bumper red-ball season again and he is not picked in the Test side, it won't be his loss, it would be Indian cricket's loss that they couldn't bet their money on a horse who is ever ready to put in the extra yards.