‘I am at my peak’: 10 years after India debut, Ranji Trophy star wishes for Test comeback

He has taken 67 wickets this season in 10 matches and has led Saurashtra to the title and believes, he has the skills and hunger to stake a claim to India’s Test squad once more.

Jaydev Unadkat, who was handed a debut back in 2010, endured an absolute nightmare. He went wicketless, conceded 101 runs in 26 overs, and has fallen off the radar as far as Test selection is concerned. However, he has taken 67 wickets this season in 10 matches and has led Saurashtra to the title and believes, he has the skills and hunger to stake a claim to India’s Test squad once more.

Jaydev Unadkat (Twitter)

“It is the best I’ve bowled, am at my peak for sure,” Unadkat told ESPNCricinfo. “It’s not just about taking those wickets, but how well I am recovering game after game, how [much] fitter I am feeling. How I am bowling on a fifth day with an old ball. Those reveal a lot of things, much more than numbers or wickets I take. So in terms of those things, I would say I am at my peak. I’ve now got a lot of options of getting a wicket, which is always the thing a bowler looks for. You can’t be a one-trick pony, I have been trying to work on it.”

“I have still got that hunger to make a comeback. The hunger has been stronger than this and that actually kept me going throughout the season. To be honest, it was challenging to physically survive the season. Bowling those long spells as a fast bowler in almost every game. But as I said, the hunger is more than ever before. I just want to keep this phase going. I don’t want to end it here. Yes we have won the trophy and I am the happiest captain in the world right now, but I still want this phase to keep going on and on for me. I want to keep going and leave no stone unturned.”