Undakat released from India squad to play Ranji Trophy final for Saurashtra

Pace bowler Jaydev Unadkat was on Sunday released from the Indian squad for the second Test against Australia so that he can play in the Ranji Trophy final for Saurashtra, the BCCI said on Sunday.

The 31-year-old Undakat will add more firepower to Saurashtra, which will take on Bengal in the Ranji Trophy final on February 16.

"The All-India Senior Selection Committee in consultation with the Indian team management has decided to release Jaydev Unadkat from India's squad for the 2nd Test of the Mastercard Australia tour of India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy," said a statement issued by BCCI secretary Jay Shah.

"Jaydev will now join the Saurashtra squad, which qualified for the Mastercard Ranji Trophy final to be played against Bengal from 16th February at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata," it added.

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Unadkat was a member of the India squad for the four-match Test series against Australia but he was not included for the opening match, which India won by an innings and 132 runs in Nagpur inside three days on Saturday. The second Test begins in New Delhi on February 17.

India had gone into the first Test with two specialist pace bowlers in Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj, besides three spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja.

With the composition of the side expected to remain the same during the second Test, Unadkar was released from national duty to play for Saurashtra, who will be aiming to lift the Ranji Trophy for the second time in the history of the tournament.

Saurashtra had last won the domestic first-class championships during the 2019/20 season. Unadkat was the highest wicket-taker during the season with 67 scalps.

Unadkat had made his comeback to the India Test side after almost 12 years as he replaced wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the second game against Bangladesh in Dhaka in December last year.