Intro:
Sharing the stage with international star cast, the swing bowler from Baramullah best exploited the conditions at Bengaluru
Sanjjeev K Samyal
sanjjeev.samyal@htlive.com
MUMBAI
Jammu & Kashmir’s Aquib Nabi was the standout pace bowler of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker with 44 wickets in eight games, behind spinner Harsh Dubey. It was one of the reasons why, in India’s domestic cricket circles, he has established a fairly good reputation among opponents.
However, to progress, you need to back the Ranji Trophy exploits at the next level. In the season opener, Nabi has gone ahead and done just that.
Friday’s performance in the Duleep Trophy game for North Zone against East Zone, will give Nabi a lot of satisfaction because sharing the stage with international pacers, including the successful Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, he showed the skills to to best exploit the conditions at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru
In a sensational performance, the swing bowler from Jammu & Kashmir’s Baramullah District claimed four wickets in four balls to claim a fifer and run through the East Zone’s lower-order, triggering a collpase from 222/5 to 230 all out.
Earlier, while batting, he had smashed 44 off 33 balls at No 9 to help North’s total reach 405.
Making brilliant use of the old ball, Nabi started East Zone’s slide with the wicket of the well-set Virat Singh for 69 runs, clean bowling him with a vicious in-coming delivery in the 53rd over of the innings. It was the fourth ball of his over, in his third spell.
With his last two balls of the over, he trapped Manishi with a length ball and castled Mukhtar Hussain with an in-dipper to complete his hat-trick. With the first ball of his next over, Nabi had Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal caught behind.
Nabi finished off the innings with the wicket of Mohammed Shami to return impressive figures of 10.1-1-28-5 and help North Zone gain a 175-run first-innings lead. With all the national selectors in attendance, the impressive performance should help Nabi become a contender for the higher grade of cricket as the Indian team’s think-tank is keen to increase its pace bowlers talent pool.
“They were fantastic deliveries, four wickets in four balls is a dream. Aquib has the art of swinging the ball. He used the art to perfection. They were boomerang swings, big inswing, big outswing,” said North Zone coach P Krishna Kumar, who is also the bowling coach of J&K senior team and has worked with Nabi for the last three seasons. “This is his seventh five wicket-haul, after six in the Ranji Trophy last season. It’s a big achievement for a bowler from J&K.Nabi’s story is one of hardships, and long commutes to train.”
“He lives about 10 kilometers from Baramullah District and comes all the way from Baramullah to practice in Srinagar, which is almost 72 kms and takes around 2 hours to reach. It shows the dedication of the player to excel at the higher level of the game. If he keeps working like this, I am sure he can realise his dream of playing for the country,” added Krishna Kumar, the former Rajasthan cricketer.
It would have pleased Nabi that he was able to showcase his skills in front of none other than Shami, the master of seam and swing.
“Like Shami, he has the best wrist position in the country. Unerring accuracy is his strength and moves the ball off the pitch from the same spot both ways,” said the North Zone coach.
The performance has made everyone sit up and take notice. If Nabi can back up this showing in the remaining Duleep Trophy games, the selectors are bound to test him in the India A games.
“Definitely he will be looked at, no doubt, all the Indian selectors were here. He should be given a chance in the higher grade of cricket and checked. If he does well there is no reason why he can’t be picked in the Indian team.”
