How MS Dhoni convinced Ashish Nehra to feature in the 2011 World Cup
Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s wait-and-watch policy and the unique style of not committing until the last moment helped Ashish Nehra be a part of the World Cup-winning squad in 2011. Down with a bad back, the former India fast bowler wanted to opt out but Dhoni convinced him to wait till the very last before taking the final call.
On Wisden’s Greatest Rivalry Podcast, Ashish Nehra said he was “really struggling” and had asked both Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni to get a replacement on board. This was just after Sreesanth had replaced Praveen Kumar after the latter was ruled out with an elbow injury. And, this was where ‘Captain Cool’ came into play.
“And Dhoni tells me ‘listen, just hang in there for another two to three weeks. See how you feel. Be with the physio, sort it out with him, wait for two-three weeks and then we’ll see how it goes,” Ashish Nehra recalled.
Indeed, the waiting game worked as Ashish Nehra went on to play three matches in the World Cup. He returned figures of 1 for 22 against the Netherlands, had an off game against South Africa – the only game India lost in the tournament – but was the pick of the bowlers in the semi-final against Pakistan.
Ashish Nehra's match-winning performance against Pakistan
Ashish Nehra had kept it tight in the middle overs and then landed the killer punch by wiping the tail with two quick wickets as India won the crunch game by 29 runs. He was, in fact, the most economical of the lot, giving away just 33 runs in 10 overs. However, as luck would have it, he had to miss the final against Sri Lanka owing to a fractured right hand.
“I had a massive fracture. They day after the final itself, I left for Australia for surgery. It was very disappointing but it was satisfying as well that we won the final, we won the World Cup. It was a roller-coaster ride for me but in the end, I did manage to land safely,” concluded Ashish Nehra.
Ashish Nehra has featured in two World Cups, but will fondly be remembered for two matches – that 6 for 23 against England in 2003 and the semi-final against Pakistan in 2011.