Former Indian seamer Ashish Nehra celebrates his 43rd birthday on 29 April. The left-hand pacer has represented India in all formats. Known for his side-on action, Nehra had the ability to swing the ball both ways off the wicket with subtle variations. Despite his injury-prone career, he managed to put up a good challenge with his brisk pace and accuracy in front of the best batters across the world.
After relishing a successful domestic debut in the 1997-98 season, Nehra put on the national kit for the first time in 1999 in a one-off Test appearance against Sri Lanka in Nagpur. He appeared for his maiden ODI against Zimbabwe at Harare in 2001.
Though his fitness issue did not let him cement his place in the squad, this tall lanky pacer played a total of 164 games in all formats of cricket. In his short Test career, Nehra scalped 44 wickets in 17 test appearances. He featured in 120 ODIs and got 157 wickets to his name. He also played 27 T20 Internationals bagging 34 wickets.
The left-arm bowler had been a part of the Indian side in five major ICC tournaments such as two World Cup campaigns (in 2011 and 2013) and three Champions Trophies. He also left a mark in two Asia Cups he played for the nation.
Nehra also displayed some impressive spells in the Indian Premier League and had represented five franchises throughout his career. He picked up 106 wickets in his 88 outings for different teams. The bowling legend took retirement from all formats of cricket in 2017.
Let’s have a look at Ashish Nehra’s top five International spells:
6 wickets for 23 runs vs England in 2003: Ashish Nehra notched the best bowling figures of his career against England in Durban during the 2003 World Cup tour. Defending 250 runs on board, he scalped six wickets costing just 23 runs in his 10-over spell. His splendid breakthrough led India to clinch victory by 82 runs.
4 wickets for 35 runs vs Sri Lanka in 2003: In another match of the 2003 World Cup, Nehra destroyed the Sri Lankan tail taking 4 wickets in seven overs. India successfully pouched a 183-run win.
6 wickets for 59 runs vs Sri Lanka in 2005: Nehra recorded his second-best bowling figure during the Indian Oil Cup final in 2005. He took the six wickets on the tricky pitch of Colombo.
4 wickets for 40 runs vs Sri Lanka in 2010: Sri Lanka no doubt had been the favourite opponent of Asish Nehra. He scythed through the Sri Lankan batting lineup and scalped four important wickets helping India to win the Asia Cup title in Dambulla.
4 wickets for 47 runs vs New Zealand in 2010: Nehra restricted New Zealand’s innings to 288 taking four wickets in the first match of a triangular series with Sri Lanka. However, India lost the match by a 200-run margin in Dambulla.
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