Jaydev Unadkat’s comeback: 5 players with the longest gap between Test appearances

Team India's left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat made a memorable comeback to the Test team on Thursday, December 22. He was picked in the playing XI for the second Test of the two-match series against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, replacing left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav.

The 31-year-old got the first breakthrough for the visitors in the Test match, having young Bangladesh opener Zakir Hasan (15) caught in the slip off a delivery that bounced a little extra.

Unadkat kept troubling the batters and was rewarded with a second wicket when he had Mushfiqur Rahim (26) caught behind with one that angled in from around the wicket and straightened to take the edge.

The Saurashtra pacer, who made his Test debut against South Africa in December 2010, made a comeback to the team after 12 years and two days. However, there are players who have returned to Tests after a much longer gap.

In this feature, we look at the top five players with the longest gap between Test appearances.

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#5 Don Cleverley - New Zealand (14 years and 28 days)

A right-arm pacer from New Zealand, Don Cleverley made his Test debut against South Africa on February 27, 1932, against South Africa in Christchurch. He went wicketless in 22 overs as the Proteas won the Test by an innings and 12 runs.

He did not play another Test until March 1946, when he featured in the one-off Test against Australia in Wellington. Cleverley was again wicketless in 15 overs as Australia registered victory by an innings and 103 runs. He thus ended his Test career without a bowling average.

At the time of his death in 2004 at the age of 94, he was the oldest living Test cricketer.

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#4 Mick Commaille - South Africa (14 years and 92 days)

Former South African batter Mick Commaille played 12 Tests, scoring 355 runs with a best of 47. He scored eight and 19 in his debut Test against England in Johannesburg in January 1910.

He played a few more Test matches in the year, the last of which came in March.

Commaille’s next appearance for South Africa came directly in June 1924, more than 14 years later against England in Birmingham. He scored one* and 29.

Commaille’s last Test was in Cape Town against England in December 1927. His highest score of 47 came in his last Test innings.

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#3 Younis Ahmed - Pakistan (17 years, 111 days)

Younis Ahmed. Pic: Glamorgan Cricket Archive

Pakistan’s Younis Ahmed played only four Tests in his career - two of which came more than 17 years apart.

A left-handed batter, Ahmed made his Test debut against the New Zealanders in Karachi in October 1969. He scored eight and 62 and then played the next Test in Lahore, in which he scored 0 and 19.

Ahmed’s next Test appearance came against India in Jaipur in February 1987. He scored 14 in the only innings he featured in. Ahmed scored 40 and 34* versus the same opponents in Ahmedabad in March. It turned out to be his last Test appearance.

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#2 George Gunn - England (17 years and 316 days)

George Gunn. Pic: The Cricketer International

A domestic legend, George Gunn amassed 35208 in 643 first-class matches. He represented England in 15 Test matches on either side of the First World War.

Gunn made a memorable Test debut against Australia in Sydney in December 1907, scoring 119 and 74. He also scored 122* and 0 at the same venue in February 1908.

After scoring 52 and 61 in a match against Australia in February 1912, his next Test appearance for England came directly in January 1930 against West Indies in Bridgetown.

He signed off his Test career with 85 and 47 in Kingston in April 1930. Gunn ended his career with 1120 runs, including two hundreds and seven fifties, at an average of 40.

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#1 John Traicos - South Africa & Zimbabwe (22 years and 222 days)

John Traicos of Zimbabwe bowling against India during the historic first test in Harare. Pic: Getty Images

John Traicos’ case is a unique one. He made his Test debut for South Africa against Australia in Durban in February 1970.

However, his international career came to a halt as South Africa were sent into sporting isolation due to their apartheid policy.

He returned to Test cricket in 1992 - 22 years and 222 days after he played his last red-ball game for South Africa. The off-spinner made a debut for Zimbabwe at the age of 45 after the African nation was granted Test status.

It was a remarkable comeback as Traicos claimed 5/86 in 50 overs in Zimbabwe’s debut Test in Harare.

The former off-spinner went on to play three more Tests for Zimbabwe, the last of which was against India in Delhi in March 1993.

He ended his career with seven Tests and 27 ODIs, claiming 37 international scalps in total.

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