Unadkat makes a point in Duleep final

BENGALURU: India have one of the most potent pace attacks in international cricket. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma are big names. And the team management is on the lookout for a standout left-arm pacer.

Khaleel Ahmed has been doing that job, but has not made heads turn as his economy rates of 5.81 (11 ODIs, 15 wickets) and 8.77 (11 T20Is, 11 wickets) suggest. So the doors are open. Barinder Sran and Jaydev Unadkat were tried before Khaleel and the latter is still trying to impress.

Unadkat has been one of the consistent bowlers in domestic cricket. He took 39 Ranji Trophy wickets last season. The Saurashtra pacer, playing the Duleep Trophy final for India Red against India Green, showed why he can vie for the India cap on Wednesday, scalping four wickets. His ability to swing the ball both ways was on display.

“I’ve always believed that every game I play, one fiery spell can change your career. I can still work on things I want to work on, push my standards higher. If you want to play at a higher level, you have to push your goals,” said Unadkat.
Though he took four, it could have been more. There were a few close leg-before shouts in the first hour. He also beat the bat regularly. He got the ball to swing on a day when play was stopped five times due to rain and bad light. Just 49 overs were possible and Green made 147/8.

“In four-day cricket, you just think about being accurate. With the white ball, I try variations. That’s what I have been looking to do after the last IPL. It is something that you keep learning. Knuckle balls, finger balls.....it’s up to an individual what he is comfortable with.” 
Brief scores: India Red 147/8 (Markande 32 n.o, Unadkat 4/58) vs India Green.