For the first time in over a decade, left-arm bowler Jaydev Unadkat has been included in India’s ODI team for the upcoming three-match series against Australia. The Indian cricket board (BCCI) revealed their team to play Australia on Sunday, only hours after the home team grabbed an unassailable 2-0 lead in the current four-match Border-Gavaskar Test series.
On March 17, 2023, at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, the first One-Day International (ODI) will be played. After a string of impressive performances on the local circuit, Unadkat was recently recalled to India’s Test team. He has been a key contributor to Saurashtra’s domestic domination as one of the top bowlers in the Ranji Trophy throughout the years. The left-arm seamer’s last One-Day International appearance was in November of 2013 against the West Indies.
In the Border Gavaskar Trophy series between India and Australia, Unadkat was a member of India’s Test squad but was released before the second Test in Delhi so that he could assist Saurashtra to win the Ranji Trophy final against Bengal at the Eden Gardens.
As the pacer turned out to be the major wrecker, scooping up nine wickets over Bengal’s two innings, he helped Saurashtra win their second Ranji championship in three years and made his comeback to his local team a huge success. He will now reunite with the rest of his Indian squad in time for the last two Tests against Australia and the One-Day Internationals (ODIs) that will follow.
With Jasprit Bumrah still out with an injury, the only other notable change to the ODI team is Unadkat’s participation. After making a successful recovery from injury in the Test series, Ravindra Jadeja will now make his return in one-day internationals.
Rohit Sharma, the team’s captain, will be absent from the first game of the three-game rubber owing to personal obligations. The team’s deputy captain, Hardik Pandya, will take over as captain for the first One-Day International against Australia.
Despite his recent success in ODIs, Shubman Gill has stiff competition from the likes of KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan for the opening spot. The middle-order duties will be divided among Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shreyas Iyer.
India will be fielding a four-man all-rounder squad for this series, consisting of Ravindra Jadeja, Krunal Pandya, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar. In the absence of Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, the pace attack will consist of Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, Shardul Thakur, and Unadkat, with Yuzvendra Chahal serving as the only specialist spinner.
Here is a look at India’s ODI squad for the Australia series:
Rohit Sharma (C), S Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (VC), R Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, W Sundar, Y Chahal, Mohd Shami, Mohd Siraj, Umran Malik, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Jaydev Unadkat
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