Pace, accuracy, subtle variations of line and length, an ability to move the ball off the wicket and a devastating late inswinger that can trouble the best in business; Ashish Nehra possessed all the true virtues of a classical left-arm seamer.
But, with all those gifts came a terrible curse - his brittle body. Despite making his debut in 1999, persistent injuries saw Nehra's Test career coming to an end in 2004. While he continued to play in other formats, the left-arm seamer remained in and out of the Indian team as his body continued to fail him.
© Reuters
In 2010, Nehra - on the back of some consistent performances - managed to establish his place in the Indian squad. Roped in for India's 2011 World Cup campaign, Nehra impressed everyone with a match-winning spell against Pakistan in the semi-finals. But his fragile body once again came in the way.
An on-field injury prevented Nehra from playing the final against Sri Lanka who were eventually decimated by Team India before securing their second 50-over World Cup title. At that time, everyone thought that was the end of Nehra. But, the Indian speedster still had some gas left in the tank.
Ashish Nehra first appeared in a Test match 4 years before the advent of T20 cricket. His 34 T20I wkts is only surpassed by Ashwin & Bumrah!
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) November 1, 2017Roaring his way back into the mix, Nehra set the 2015 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on fire, picking up 22 wickets for Chennai Super Kings. Six months later, he was brought back to the fold for a tour of Australia. And, with his magical spells, India clinched their first limited-overs trophy Down Under.
At the age of 36, he managed to revive his career by focussing on the shortest format. He reprised the ability to move the ball at 140 kph, and emerged as one of India's most-successful bowlers in the 2016 World T20. Despite his frailties, Nehra continues to serve the Indian cricket as a T20 specialist.
Virat Kohli Was 11 Year Old Kid When Ashish Nehra Made Debut. Tonight Nehra Ji Will Retire Under His Captaincy. ð#ThankYouNehraJi #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/nsyT9APlWl
— Sir Jadeja (@SirJadeja) November 1, 2017But, as all good things come to an end, Nehra's inspirational journey has also come full circle. The 38-year-old now prepares for a final hurrah as India locks horns with New Zealand in the first T20I at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium, later today.
Thank you, #AshishNehra!https://t.co/jsS76ORAIo
— Swati Thakur (@dhogakholo) November 1, 2017While Indian cricket fans are in disbelief, Nehra's Team India mates highlighted his importance as they paid a touching tribute to the old warhorse in a heartfelt video. Recollecting some of their fondest memories of him, Indian cricketers including Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar all came together to laud Nehra.
As he gears up for his farewell match, let's hope that Nehraji pushes himself for one last time in front of his home crowd to do what he does best - terrorise the opposition batsmen and script India's triumph.
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