Sri Lanka show boosts Unadkat’s confidence

mumbai — Back in the national team after a year in the wilderness, left-arm pacer Javdev Unadkat feels that his impressive show in the T20 International series against Sri Lanka can prove to be a turnaround in his career.

The 26-year-old Saurashtra pacer had impressive figures of 2/15 against Sri Lanka in the third and final T20I game of the series which India won by five wickets at the Wankhede Stadiumon Sunday.

Unadkat had figures of 1/7 and 1/22 in Cuttack and Indore respectively, where the first two games of the series were played, after being included in the squad on the strength of his good show in domestic cricket.

“This series has really helped me gain the confidence needed at International level. In the past also, whenever I have done well in domestic (cricket) I have got my chances. So it was about doing well out there and getting that confidence,” said Unadkat.

“It was just not coming to me when I played for India the previous time. But yes, this series has definitely been a turnaround for me and I really needed (it) at this point in my career and I would be really happy to take it forward from here,” he said at the postmatch press conference.

The left-handed pacer made his Test debut in 2010 in South Africa. He then played seven ODIs in 2013 and made his T20 debut in Zimbabwe in June 2016 before spending another year and a half in the wilderness.

His chances of a comeback had improved after the retirement of veteran Ashish Nehra with the selectors on the look-out for a left-hand pacer to be included in the mix to give it variety. Unadkat has improved as a bowler and now has variety to his arsenal and even uses them in high pressure situations. — PTI