Dinesh Karthik: Unadkat’s comeback story heart-warming, most deserving bowler from Indian domestic cricket in recent times

Indian keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has termed seasoned Saurashtra left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat’s comeback to the Test team for the series against Bangladesh as heart-warming. According to Karthik, there's no one more deserving than the 31-year-old when it comes to India’s domestic cricket.

Unadkat has been named as Mohammed Shami’s replacement in the Indian team for the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh. Shami, who was ruled out of the ODI series, will miss the Test matches as well due to bowling arm stress.

Meanwhile, Unadkat has been rewarded for some sterling performances in domestic cricket. He recently led Saurashtra to victory in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The experienced medium pacer was the leading wicket-taker in the domestic tournament, claiming 19 wickets in ten games at an average of 16.10. Backing the bowler’s inclusion in the Indian Test team, Karthik opined on Cricbuzz:

“Unadkat, an absolutely heart-warming story. He is probably the most deserving bowler from Indian domestic cricket in the last couple of years. To get the number of wickets that he has got, led the team so well.

"There has been a lot of talk about selections made, but this one is highly justified. He might not play this series, but the fact that he has been rewarded matters the most.”

The left-arm seamer, who has been delivering consistently for Saurashtra, claimed a record 67 wickets in the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season, the year in which the team lifted their maiden title.

Karthik added that the Tests against Bangladesh would be key for another Saurashtra player - veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara. The 37-year-old explained:

“Pujara is someone who has been around the team for a long time now. The last year hasn’t gone well for him."

In Rohit Sharma’s absence, Pujara opened the innings in the rescheduled Test against England earlier this year in Birmingham. He scored a defiant 66 in the second innings, but India lost the Test by seven wickets.

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On a flat wicket, he is the best left-arm spinner in India - Dinesh Karthik on Saurabh Kumar

While discussing other domestic players who have impressed him recently, Karthik reserved special praise for Uttar Pradesh’s left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar.

Paying Kumar a huge compliment, the keeper-batter described him as the country’s best left-arm spinner on a flat surface, saying:

“Saurabh Kumar, I remember playing him and getting stumped. The ball dipped on me, and I thought he has something special in him. Year on year, he is getting better. He is arguably, on a flat wicket, the best left-arm spinner in India. He is a traditional left-arm spinner, who relies on dip.”

Kumar was the standout performer in the unofficial Tests against Bangladesh A. In two games, he bagged 15 wickets at an average of 14.46 with two five-wicket hauls.