India pacer Jaydev Unadkat is currently plying his trade in the ongoing County Championship for Sussex, the team that is captained by veteran India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara.
After not being picked in India’s ODI squad for the ongoing Asia Cup 2023, Jaydev Unadkat quickly signed up with Sussex for a maiden County Championship stint in England. Unadkat’s Saurashtra team-mate Cheteshwar Pujara is the captain of the Sussex team this season.
Jaydev Unadkat had featured in the Test series and the ODI series for India against West Indies before signing with Sussex. He had a vast experience of 103 first-class matches already, picking up 382 wickets at a brilliant average of 22.
He even led Saurashtra to its maiden Ranji Trophy season win in 2020, leading from the front with 67 wickets in that season – the most a fast bowler has taken in a single Ranji season.
Jaydev Unadkat’s time with Sussex didn’t start off well as he picked up only 1 wicket on his County debut against Durham. However, in the next match, he showcased his class and skill by returning with figures of 3/23 & 6/94 against Leicestershire, riding Sussex to a terrific win in a nail-biter by only 15 runs.
Sussex had given Leicestershire a massive target of 499 runs. Riding on Colin Ackermann’s century, and fifties from Umar Amin, Ben Cox, and Tom Scriven, Leicestershire gradually approached the target.
Sussex turned toward the experienced Jaydev Unadkat who bowled marathon spells and in all bowled a total of 32.4 overs in that innings to pick up 6 wickets. After taking an early wicket with the new ball, the left-arm pacer wiped out the middle-order and the tail to claim a brilliant, hard-fought win for Sussex by only 15 runs.
As the Sussex players left the field, Jaydev Unadkat got a standing ovation from his teammates and the support staff as he raised the ball high in his hand to acknowledge the applause.
WATCH: Jaydev Unadkat gets a standing ovation for his brilliant 6-for
https://x.com/SussexCCC/status/1701979630679294062?s=20
