The 3 phases of Ashish Nehra's memorable career

#2 2009-2011: The Second Coming

Nehra played a vital role in India's semi-final win over Pakistan in the 2011 World Cup

Out of the national side due to injuries and loss of form in 2005, Nehra spent a few years in the wilderness. A bowel injury kept him out of cricket for the whole of 2006. The world had no whereabouts of Ashish Nehra until he made an impressive comeback in the first season of IPL in 2008. He was among the top 10 Indian wicket-takers during the inaugural edition of the tournament.

He continued to play regular domestic cricket for Delhi. A telling reminder of his prowess was sent across selection doors when he finished as the 3rd highest wicket-taker in the 2009 edition of IPL. A national comeback beckoned as a just reward for his efforts.

The period between 2009 and 2011 can be termed as Nehra's golden years in international cricket. He was a regular in the ODI team and formed the backbone of Indian fast bowling attack along with Zaheer Khan. The two senior pacers were also capable mentors to the youngsters coming up in the Indian setup.

Nehra was among the top three wicket-takers in ODIs played during that period. He was also at the peak of his fitness. Not surprisingly, skipper MS Dhoni and coach Gary Kirsten asked him if he would like to make a comeback in the Test arena as well. However, the left-armer was unsure on whether his body would hold up to the rigours of Test cricket.

A sustained concentration on limited-overs cricket helped Nehra improve markedly on his death-bowling skills. In the unforgettable high-scoring thriller at Rajkot in 2009, Sri Lanka came astonishingly close to India's massive total of 414. Defending just 68 runs required off the last nine overs, Nehra and Zaheer came up with a death-bowling master class.

Nehra once again came to India's rescue during the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup. From ten overs, he conceded just 33 runs and picked up 2 wickets to end up with the best figures among all Indian bowlers in that match. He was a certainty for the final against Sri Lanka in Mumbai. However, a finger injury ruled him out of contention. The semi-final against Pakistan would remain his final ODI appearance.

Stats of Ashish Nehra from 2009-11

Stats of Ashish Nehra in matches won from 2009-11