5 bowlers who should have been tried instead of Ashish Nehra 

It came as a huge surprise when veteran fast bowler Ashish Nehra was named in the squad for the T20 series against Australia last week.

Yes, he has had his share of good fortune to represent the Indian national team. Although his illustrious career has been marred by injuries, there can be no doubt on Nehra’s talent and hard work. And that is exactly the reason why he is back in the team.

But then again, at 38, he is certainly not growing any younger. With the ICC ODI World Cup just two years down the road, it would have been a more logical decision had the Indian selectors opted for a fresh young bowler. The country does have a huge pool of talent and really, any one of the exciting fast bowlers could have been named instead of Nehra.

Here, we take a look at five such pacers, who should have been tried instead of the old warhorse.

---

#5 Basil Thampi

At this year’s IPL, his numbers weren’t particularly good

The IPL 2017 Emerging Player of the Year, Basil Thampi, is known as a bit of slinger. But he has two elements in his bowling – pace and a terrific yorker – that make him a deadly aspect, especially in the shorter formats. He also has a pretty decent slower delivery that comes in as a handy variation.

At this year’s IPL, his numbers weren’t particularly good. Thampi claimed only 11 wickets from matches while conceding at 9.49 per over. However, the paceman was actually better than what his numbers suggest. His effectiveness on slow tracks was one of the lone bright spots of an otherwise doomed IPL campaign for his team, the Gujarat Lions.

Agreed, he hasn’t yet done anything of significance in the domestic circuit, but he definitely has the talent. Being 23, he could have been given a shot in the national team and groomed for the future.

#4 Aniket Choudhary

A left-arm pacer moulded by the MRF Pace Foundation, Aniket Choudhary is someone who can hit the 140 kmph mark consistently. It was his acute pace that brought him to the fore. However, it was his stable bowling action and ability to regularly unleash the ‘heavy ball’ that earned him more plaudits as he progressed.

Although he was first spotted by Greg Chappell back in 2008, it wasn’t until 2011 that he made his Ranji Trophy. Choudhary did manage to impress initially but frequent injuries hampered his development. However, five years later, in 2016, he would come back stronger than ever when he was called up for the ‘A’ team.

With the young pace bowler is still making giant strides, he could have been given a taste of international cricket at this stage of his career. It would have been the right time, given his talent and young age.

#3 Mohammed Siraj

Earlier this year, Mohammed Siraj became a popular name in Indian cricket when he was picked up for a whopping Rs 2.6 crores at the IPL auction. His rags to riches story captured our imagination but apart from that the lanky 23-year-old is also a promising seamer with some serious ability. He possesses a whippy, quick-arm release action which is often difficult for batsmen to pick.

In the 2016 Ranji Trophy season, Siraj spearheaded Hyderabad's bowling unit as he claimed 41 wickets. He finished as the second highest wicket-taker in the tournament in the pace department. He then justified his selection in IPL with his impressive showings for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Siraj has an effective bouncer and an accurate yorker, two facets that are essential in T20s. The Australia series was the perfect opportunity to try him out and see if he is good enough to be in the national team yet.

#2 Sandeep Sharma

An intelligent seamer, Sandeep Sharma makes up for his lack of pace with his discipline and control. He is adept at using the crease to create an angle and at getting the ball to swing both ways irrespective of the conditions. The inswinger is his stock delivery but his ability to get the ball to hold its line, often, has the batsman in trouble.

He burst onto the season during the U-19 World Cup in 2010 and has grown from strength to strength ever since. Having played the IPL for a few seasons now, Sharma has garnered enough experience. He can restrict the run flow during the powerplay overs when he can get the new ball to move and swing.

Ideally, India should have tried out the 23-year-old. Given his future prospect, it would have been the right moment to give Sharma an opportunity to make his mark at the international stage.

#1 Jaydev Unadkat

After years of showing promise and disappointing, Jaydev Undakat seems to have finally found his mojo this year. There was never a question about the left arm medium pacer’s talent but somehow he never really managed to impress when it mattered.

Having first made the headlines during the 2010 U-19 World Cup, Undakat was drafted into the Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad and even made his Test debut for India. But poor performances hindered his chances of being a regular in the playing XI.

This year’s IPL, though, was a different story. Turning out for the Rising Pune Supergiant, he ended the season with 24 wickets in 12 games. He also enjoyed a successful domestic season after making a comeback from injury and looks like he has regained fine rhythm and self-belief. This, probably, was the best time for the selectors to have another look at him.