Mumbai: Rajasthan Royals seamer Jaydev Unadkat was extremely satisfied with a perfectly-laid trap for the in-form Prithvi Shaw as his dismissal triggered a top-order collapse from which Delhi Captals eventually failed to recover.
Unadkat’s 3 for 15 was a match-winning spell as he scalped Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan (more due to brilliant catch by Sanju Samson) and Ajinkya Rahane with clever variations of pace on a tricky surface that had moisture.
Asked about the strategy employed to dismiss Shaw, Unadkat said:”We had a couple of plans in place for Prithvi. He (Shaw) played really well last game and you know he tries to hit it down the ground a lot.”
Wish some sing on offer Shaw tried to cart one outside the off-stump towards deep mid-wicket but the outside edge flew to David Miller at backward point.
“If you have a protection down there (straight field), you know the batsman would obviously try and do something new. Be it Prithvi or anyone else, if the ball is doing something, then you will try and go out of your way and try to play a shot, which I think eventually he did and lucky to get as we get in that over itself,” he said.
Being able to execute a strategy in a manner one wants is extremely satisfying, an emotion that the often panned Jaydev Unadkat felt after his match-winning spell for Rakasthan Royals against Delhi Capitals in an IPL game.
Unadkat took 3 for 15 in 4 overs to rock DC’s top-order and also came in at No 9 to score an unbeaten 11 off 7 balls to help Chris Morris in a low-scoring chase.
“So happy to have contributed to the game and happy for myself that I was able to execute what I wanted and how I wanted to do,” Unadkat said at the post-match conference.
A domestic stalwart for Saurashtra, Unadkat’s IPL career has been inconsistent at best and he has often been a subject of harsh trolling in past years when his performance didn’t match his million dollar price tag.
In fact, he was also dropped from the playing XI during Royals’ opening game against Punjab Kings.
“It’s always about just one good game and I knew that when my opportunity will come, I will have to be right up there in terms of my performance and happy to have contributed today,” Unadkat said.
Unadkat felt that the Wankhede pitch wasn’t as much on the slower side as it looked.
“It wasn’t on the slower side. If you would see the stats, it was just about four or five slower balls that that I bowled in the Powerplay. It seemed more because I got wickets on those balls.
“I think it was seaming a little as there was a little moisture in the wicket to start with. The pace (of the deck) increased as the game progressed. That’s why it was still seaming when they came into bowl.”
PTI