Playing a part in Saurashtra's success is close to Unadkat's heart

For Jaydev Unadkat, the decision to leave India's Test squad in Delhi, and instead represent Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy final was a no-brainer."Saurashtra has played an important part in my comeback and success, and it was not difficult to make the decision for the final," Unadkat told ESPNcricinfo after the first day of the Ranji Trophy final. "I had a chat with the India management, and they were also supportive of the decision. Playing a part in Saurashtra's success is close to my heart.Unadkat made an impact right away in the final, winning the toss, inserting Bengal in and striking in the first over with Abhimanyu Easwaran's wicket. In the same spell, he had Manoj Tiwary edging to gully from around the stumps and finished with 3 for 44, with Bengal folding for 174. It was the first time since the 2017-18 final that the team winning the toss chose to field, and Unadkat said his decision to risk batting last was due to the bowler-friendly conditions on day one in Kolkata."The green tinge on the pitch played a part in making the toss decision easier in a final," Unadkat said. "But there were also skills at play from the other bowlers to get the early breakthroughs. We knew we had to maximise the early advantage in the surface because the pitch got flat as the day progressed. We knew that would happen, so it was crucial to get their big wickets while there was some moisture."My attacking plan to a right-hander has often been from around the stumps, especially when the ball is swinging. For a right-hand batter, ball moving away from around the stumps can be tricky."This is the first time "full DRS" is being used in a Ranji Trophy game. Saurashtra went for it twice, but neither review panned out, and the one time they chose not to go upstairs, they ended up giving a life to Shahbaz Ahmed. The Bengal allrounder was on 38 when the on-field umpire turned down an lbw shout only for replays to indicate it was out. Shahbaz would go on to score 31 more runs.Unadkat said that DRS in domestic games is new for many of h