Super Spells :- Nehra neutralizes England at Durban!

Super Spells :- Nehra neutralizes England at Durban!

The ICC Cricket World Cup is the biggest stage in international cricket, that brings out the best from worlds finest when it comes to displaying skill with both bat and ball. The 2003 edition of the World Cup in South Africa was nothing less but an entertainment feast, particularly for the fans of the men in blue as they made it to the finals of the tournament after 20 long years, under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly.

But before they made it to the finals, Team India had to face quite a few formidable sides as they got their opportunity to square off against the mighty Aussies in the finals. One of the most talked about games in the World Cup that year was when India took on England in the group stages of the tournament. Batting first, the star studded Indian line-up scored a moderate total of 250 in 50 overs of play, courtesy a couple of fifties by Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

The Indians knew that they had to take all 10 English wickets in order to register a win as the total wasn’t intimidating enough. But little did they know that the men in blue were in for a show, as the left arm pacer – Ashish Nehra had a pleasant surprise for all the Indian fans.

England got off to a torrid start as they lost both their openers, Michael Trescothick 8 (23) and Nick Knight 1 (3) with the total score on 18. But Michael Vaughan and the skipper Nasser Hussain were looking to rebuild the England innings with stroke making of their own. Hussain had finally got himself settled on the crease and was looking to convert his score into a big one, but in comes the skiddy Ashish Nehra who had other plans.

Nehra given the white ball scampered in with a unique run up and action of his own, and zipped the ball at a quick pace of 142kmph of the hard South African deck, which bounced off the shiny surface, and went away from the England skipper, who tried nudging it through point by a cut shot, but failed as the ball took the faintest of edge and went back to the wicket keeper - Rahul Dravid for a comfortable catch.

Ashish Nehra had got the big wicket of Nasir Hussain who had more often than not assisted England to come out of such sticky situations, through match winning knocks in the past.  The Indians, and more importantly Ashish Nehra still had work to do.

The England wicket keeper – Alec Stewart was the next man in for the three lions. With over 6000 runs in ODI cricket, Stewart was no rookie with the bat. However, Ashish Nehra was in the form of his life that afternoon, as he ran in on the very next ball, to deliver the most ideal deliveries that a left arm pacer could bowl to right handed batsmen, as Nehra delivered a tight line on the middle and leg region which moved back in, while wrapping Stewart on the front pad.

The Indians indulged in a loud appeal, and were rewarded the wicket through a gutsy decision given by Simon Taufel. The Indian team was on fire, as they had now taken 4 wickets for just 52 runs. Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Kaif, Zaheer Khan and the rest had rushed in to embrace Ashish Nehra, as Durban had erupted under lights, with the large number of Indian support available in the ground. Though it looked like a dicey decision by the umpire at one stage, looking at it again through slow mo, clearly gave the indication about why Tafuel raised his index finger.

England were in disarray, and the chaos being created in the middle was all due to Ashish Nehra’s brilliance with the ball. High on confidence and high on momentum, Ashish Nehra continue to ball at a quick pace with disciplined line and length.

Michael Vaughan was still out there in the middle and was looking to take on Nehra, with his score on 20 with two boundaries under his belt. But Nehra was not to be taken lightly, as he continued to bowl his usual 140’s. Vaughan taking his stance was set for Nehra, the towering left arm pacer this time, bowled a gem of a delivery on the corridor of uncertainty which went away from Vaughan, as he tried driving the ball, which took another edge, and went straight into the mitts of Rahul Dravid who took an easy catch and threw the ball into the night sky in euphoria. Ashish Nehra was on a roll, as he ran in with his arms lifted in the air, while the rest of the players celebrated alongside the star bowler, Nehra with smiles across their faces.

Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff were the final recognizable pair who did put up a fight for a brief while, but Nehra was too hot to handle, as Collingwood edged the ball to the slip fielder, through a jafa bowled at short of good length. Virender Sehwag standing at first slip took a sharp catch, which also signified Sourav Ganguly’s aggressive captaincy in the field that paid huge dividends for the men in blue.

A train wreck caused by the bowler hailing from Delhi, with England’s score on 93 for the fall of 6 wickets. The Indian fans were going ‘Balle Balle’ in the stands, and were witnessing one of the spells of the world cup unravel in front of their very eyes.

Ashish Nehra’s rhythm was unmatched that evening as he was up for more. Craig White was the new batsman on strike, and Nehra was running in over the wicket, as he delivered yet another peach of a delivery through his slingy arm, which bounced on the hard Durban wicket, went above White’s waist due to the pace generated, as he tried to attempt an extravagant drive, and took the edge for another catch taken by the reliable Rahul Dravid.

Ashish Nehra had now taken 5 wickets against a formidable England line-up, under lights  on the World Cup stage, and punched a hole through the roof, as the Indian fans were celebrating with utmost joy.

A bowler usually teas off when he gets a fifer, and brings his side close to an iconic win, but that wasn’t the case for Ashish Nehra, as he was up for one more.

Ronnie Irani, had a mountain of a task laid ahead of him, but Nehra ended his misery on the crease with complete efficiency and bowled yet another delivery on the same patch which had uprooted the England batting line-up.

The away swinger, integrated with the angle generated through his arm got Irani’s edge, as Sehwag took his second catch in the game, but this time in the second slip region.

Ashish Nehra had now got 6 wickets for just the 23 runs in his 10 over spell, and made a mark of his own as he registered the best spell by an Indian bowler in a World Cup game. Andrew Flintoff in particular was pleased when Nehra got done with his overs, as he added 64 runs to his personal tally, but England finally got bundled out for 168, while falling short of 82 runs. That evening was known as Nehra’s evening, as he derailed England and their hopes of claiming the prized trophy, through brilliant pace and accuracy, which clearly emphasized the importance of that one spell in team India’s campaign in the 2003 World Cup.

from SportsFlashes.com https://ift.tt/2SrtndR