Profile:
Ashish Nehra has sneaked ahead of the pack of Indian medium-pacers
with his uncanny knack to move the ball both ways. After making his Test
debut in February 1999 in the Asian Test Championship against Sri Lanka,
Nehra found himself in the wilderness for more than two years. When
presented with a second opportunity in Zimbabwe, the left-arm seamer
from Delhi ensured that he cemented his place in the squad with some
good performances. There were disappointments for the youngster as he
was banished from the attack for running onto the wicket in the Bulawayo
Test match. And later, he found himself in the sidelines with a groin
injury. Nehra was kept out of the squad for the tri-series in South
Africa, after the team physio Andrew Leipus insisted that he had to go
through the whole rehabilitation programme.
After a below-par performance in the Bloemfontein Test, Nehra was
given the shock treatment by the selectors, who dropped him from the
Test squad that took on the visiting England team. Nehra forced his way
back with an impressive performance in the domestic season and was soon
an integral part of the Indian seam attack in the Carribean Isles. He
was particularly successful against Brian Lara, claiming the wicket of
the master batsman on many occasions in the series. In the Port of Spain
Test, Nehra set up the memorable Indian victory by picking the crucial
wickets of Lara and Carl Hooper in quick succession.
Nehra did not perform well in conditions that favoured him during the
tour of England and New Zealand. With the return of Javagal Srinath,
Nehra finds himself as the third seam bowler in the Indian side. Nehra
will be a more potent bowler if he finds back the ability to move the
ball both ways during the World Cup 2003.(Santhosh S)