IPL 8: Ashish Nehra shows why he remains captain’s favourite

In three matches, Ashish Nehra has taken six wickets at an average of 13.16. His economy rate (6.58 rpo) is impressive, too. (Source: Express photo by Kevin D’Souza)

The IPL teams that Ashish Nehra has played for tells a story of its own. Of a bowler who is respected by his peers. Of a man who is valued more by erstwhile team-mates. He has never been a fan’s favourite, often dissed and mocked in fact, but a man who is valued more by his (erstwhile) team-mates. A cricketer’s cricketer, in many ways — or to be more precise — a captain’s favourite.

In 2008, he played for Sachin Tendulkar’s Mumbai Indians; in 2009, he played for Virender Sehwag’s Delhi Daredevils; in 2011, he was picked up by Sourav Ganguly’s Pune Warriors; in 2013, he returned to Delhi before he was bought by MS Dhoni’s Chennai Superkings in 2014. All his former mates, usually his captains either in India or in state side, were the ones who convinced their respective franchises to take him.

Pressure? Bring it on

It’s easy to see why. Even now, after a slew of young bowlers have represented India and done rather well in the recent World Cup, he remains one of India’s best bowlers under pressure. It’s a pity that his fitness brought an early end to his international career, but he remains a man with admirable cricketing intelligence. Even during his final international years, he was MS Dhoni’s go-to man in the Indian team. He had his injuries, he had lost his pace, but it was him that Dhoni would throw the ball during Powerplays, or whenever the batsmen were going hammer and tongs.

Of course, he wasn’t always successful in those situations, but he was the best bet. Like on Friday. Kieron Pollard, the Trinidadian long-handle, was tonking the ball here and there as his mood seized him. Pollard and Rohit Sharma had smashed 67 runs from just 27 deliveries to lift Mumbai from 57 for 4 in 9.3 overs to 124 in 14. Tumultuous noise ringed around the arena when Dhoni signalled Nehra to bowl.

Nehra was shuffling away towards his fielding position and was, as ever, an anonymous presence during the mayhem of Pollard and Rohit. Long arms hung limply, he trudged here and there, often with his head bowed down, and there was this empty expression on his face. The white ball was flying all around, but for all you know he could have been strolling around in a park somewhere. It was then that Dhoni called him over.

Nehra pointed his finger around as if to suggest: ‘Now? This end?’ Dhoni nodded and Nehra sprang to life. It’s quite an ugly run-up, another facet that fits perfectly with the overall unappealing (to the casual watcher) package as a bowler. The feet spray here and there, the arms jerk as he runs and he then gets into a side-on position, splaying his feet far and wide.

Impact player

He decided go round the stumps to cramp up the rampaging batsmen. Off the last ball of that over, his fourth and final, he held the ball cross-seam and wobbled it across towards Rohit — Nehra’s slower deliveries aren’t in the fashion of James Faulkner or even Mohit Sharma. He doesn’t drastically slow them up or use any fancy back-of-hand variations, but just slows them up a bit, a reduction of 10 kmph perhaps, and they work rather well for him. On Friday, too, it did its job. Rohit went for the big heave-ho but ended up mistiming it and was swallowed at long-on. The game started to turn again. Nehra turned around and blew a kiss to send off Rohit.

There were no kisses earlier on but it was Nehra who took two wickets with the new ball to send Mumbai on the proverbial back foot. A skidder off a good length trapped Parthiv Patel and then came a short ball that got rid of Corey Anderson. Long before this World Cup when Indian bowlers surprised many with their liberal, and clever, usage of short ball, for a long time it was Nehra who used them the best in India. All in all, it was a perfect evening out for the canny old customer, a man who refuses to fade away, and a bowler who retains respect and trust of his captains.

Source:: Indian Express