Umesh Yadav shares his emotions on Jaydev Unadkat’s comeback: “Very happy for him, was in South Africa when he made his debut”

Team India pacer Umesh Yadav has stated that he is very pleased to see Jaydev Unadkat make a comeback to Test cricket after a gap of 12 years. He also recalled being part of the team in South Africa when the Saurashtra left-arm pacer made his Test debut.

Unadkat made an impressive comeback to Test cricket, claiming 2/50 in 16 overs on Day 1 of the second Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka. He came into the playing XI as a replacement for left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who was the Player of the Match in the first Test in Chattogram.

The 31-year-old dismissed Zakir Hasan for 15, getting the first breakthrough for India in the Test. He also sent back Mushfiqur Rahim for 26, breaking a stubborn fourth-wicket stand of 48. Umesh and Ravichandran Ashwin claimed four wickets each as India bundled out Bangladesh for 227.

At a press conference following the first day’s play, Umesh was asked for his thoughts on Unadkat’s comeback. He replied:

“Definitely very happy for him. I was in South Africa when he made his debut. I am really happy to see him get this chance after a very long time. He has performed very well in domestic cricket.”

Unadkat went wicketless on his Test debut against South Africa in Centurion in December 2010. He registered figures of 0/101 from 26 overs as the Proteas thumped India by an innings and 25 runs.

Praising the seasoned domestic pacer over his comeback performance, Umesh asserted that Unadkat knows how to bowl on wickets like the one in Dhaka. He explained:

“When Unadkat came on to bowl, the ball was kicking quite a bit. Some deliveries hit batsmen’s gloves as well. The plan was to keep bowling that length, but the wicket settled down after a while. But we know that Unadkat is used to bowling on such surfaces. He has been bowling on such wickets in India for many years. He has both swings - in and out.”

Unadkat was the leading wicket-taker in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022-23. He claimed 19 scalps in 10 matches for Saurashtra at an average of 16.10. He was subsequently named in the Indian squad for the ongoing series against Bangladesh.

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“Good performance considering how the wicket is playing” - Umesh Yadav

India are in a strong position, having bowled out Bangladesh cheaply on Day 1 of the Dhaka Test. Asked if he was happy with the team’s overall bowling performance, Umesh asserted:

“Definitely, you don’t get out teams for 220-230 in Tests all the time. Sometimes you bowl well but the batsmen settle down and keep playing. I think it’s a good performance considering how the wicket is playing. Odd ball is turning; some are kicking.”

After bowling out Bangladesh for 227, India went to stumps at 19/0, trailing the hosts by 208 runs.