'Rahul bhai told me...' - Jaydev Unadkat recalls invaluable chat with Rahul Dravid after getting call-up for Dhaka Test

'Rahul bhai told me...' - Jaydev Unadkat recalls invaluable chat with Rahul Dravid after getting call-up for Dhaka Test (Image Source: Twitter)

Jaydev Unadkat, the left-arm pacer, made his comeback in the Test setup after a decade gap for the Test series against Bangladesh and much to the delight of the Indian fans, the talented cricketer retained his spot for the initial two games of the Border-Gavaskar trophy to be played against Australia starting late February. Unadkat opened up on the advice from coach Rahul Dravid and for the unversed, the latter was still playing for India when Unadkat played his first Test in 2010. 

Unadkat reflected upon his journey to his comeback in the Test setup and recalled his chat with the Indian veteran. The left-armer said that Dravid revealed to him about playing the second Test vs the Bangla Tigers and added that it was no more than a 30-second chat on the day. Further, Unadkat said that Dravid advised him to enjoy the outing and be proud of his comeback. 

The 31-year-old recalled the moment the chief selector Chetan Sharma called him and informed him about his selection for the Dhaka Test. The veteran claimed that it was a moment of joy for him and added that he was on cloud nine when he received the call from Chetan. 

Rahul bhai told me about my selection in the morning: Jaydev Unadkat

It remains to be seen if Unadkat would be able to carry on with the form in the Tests against the mighty Baggy Greens as well, although fans claim that he deserves to be in the squad on the back of his stupendous outing for Saurashtra in the domestic circuit and against the Bangla Tigers in the recently concluded Test series. 

“Everyone congratulated me, saying that it was well deserved. And even though it was repetitive I still felt a little sense of pride every time I heard that, that you deserve this call-up. On the day when the Test was starting, Rahul bhai told me in the morning: 'JD, you are a part of the XI. And this is probably one of the most well-deserved call-ups that you have got. Be very, very proud of it and enjoy your time out there in the middle.' It was just a 30-second talk," Unadkat was quoted as saying to ESPNCricinfo. 

“Chetan bhai called me and said, you don't have to go to the Ranji Trophy game, you will have to join Test squad. It was a simple call where he just told me that I'd have to pack my bags for Dhaka. I was just thankful in that moment. I went into that trance mode, where everything becomes blurry and you just sort of enjoy the moment. We were in a car and I was with Rinny , my sister and my brother-in-law, so there were screams and joy and ecstasy, which made it even more special,” he added.