Saurashtra's captain Jaydev Unadkat dedicated the team's Ranji final victory to Cheteshwar Pujara, who played recently played his 100th Test, saying that it is a fitting tribute to one of Saurashtra's favourite sons, Chintu.
To Pujara!
"Like I'd said before it's a fitting tribute to one of Saurashtra's favourite sons, Chintu (Pujara's nickname). He played his 100th Test for India against Australia in Delhi, but he was equally eager, wishing us throughout," Unadkat said. The veteran cricketer has smashed 7000 runs for India in a 13-year career and became the 13th batter to play 100 more Tests for India.
This was Saurashtra's 2nd title this season after winning the Vijay-Hazare Trophy in December. "It was important to win this one to prove the dominance and to show everyone that this era, the decade belongs to Saurashtra," Unadkat told reporters after their triumph. Three trophies in three years prove that we have been doing a lot of things right. We have set a tone, I'm proud of what this team has achieved."
Building A Legacy
"At the moment, I feel that my body is in a good shape. The ball is coming out nicely off the hand. I'm able to bowl long spells which is crucial," he added. Asked about his goal, he said, "It's not just about winning trophies, but creating a legacy for our team which will leave a bigger impact on cricket in the region. Our goal will be to carry forward this legacy for at least 3-4 years till the core of our team is intact."
Unadkat further said his team handled the pressure better than their counterparts and that there was more calmness in their dressing room. "There was more calmness in our dressing room. They wanted to win it very eagerly, as it was at Eden. It happened to us as well while playing in Rajkot. So calmness and composure were the difference both in batting and bowling. We had that little bit of five per cent advantage," he said.
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