Fit Ashish Nehra wants to be a hit

Nehra, the perennial Mr Unfit, looks forward to cement his place in the team after a four-year exile from international cricket

Nehra, the perennial Mr Unfit, looks forward to cement his place in the team after a four-year exile from international cricket

Back on track: India left-armer Ashish Nehra during a training session at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Jamtha, Nagpur yesterday. Pic/Suresh KK

For a sportsman, Ashish Nehra has a unique problem. "With me it was never about whether I was good enough. It was always about whether I was fit enough," he says. After a gap of almost four years he last played a series in Zimbabwe in September 2005 and two ankle surgeries later Nehra made a comeback in June this year in the West Indies and hasn't looked back.

After a rigorous net session ahead of today's second ODI against Australia, Nehra took time off to talk about his injury time and return to international cricket. Excerpts:

What was the feeling like after playing your first comeback match?
It was a relief to get back. I never thought I couldn't bowl 10 overs. I had played Indian Premier League earlier and bowled for more than two hours in the nets. Only after that did I tell everyone that I was fit to play one-dayers. So, there was never any doubt about my fitness.

How tough was it for you when you were recovering from injuries?
It took me some time to get back to a fitness schedule. It was very tough as I did not bowl for a year and a half. I travelled to Germany, England, South Africa and Australia for treatment. I did whatever was possible to be fit again. In India, if you don't play international cricket for six-seven months, people forget you and I was out of the game for four years. I did not even watch cricket for almost two years. Being out of the team was very frustrating at times.

How helpful was the Indian Premier League?
I grew in confidence since it is as good as international cricket. Sure, IPL is T20 cricket but you can always judge talent. I played 14-15 matches in a row and performed quite well. After the IPL (Season II), I was high on confidence and that spilled over to the series in West Indies. I played three ODIs there and was very satisfied with my performance.

Did it feel odd to enter the Indian dressing room again?
It did feel a bit odd in the beginning. There were quite a few new faces, so the feeling was a bit different. But with every passing day, as I started performing better, my confidence grew. And luckily, the injuries stayed away.

Was there a time when you felt there was no chance of a comeback?
I always believed in myself. I was only concerned about my body. But even when I started bowling after a long gap, it did not feel odd. I never felt I would not be able to complete a spell. A lot of people wrote me off but that motivated me in a way. I wanted to prove them wrong. Today, the same people congratulate me for making a comeback. I have proved a lot of people wrong and I am very happy about it.

Which was the most frustrating phase of your injury?
When I had my ankle surgery in 2005 I had to give up cricket. I was among the top wicket-takers then, but my injury got so bad that I couldn't carry on. I started playing again, had minor injuries and thought they would not be a big problem. But even those needed surgery. Then, I got injured again while playing domestic cricket. I was pushing myself. I had to undergo another surgery in 2-3 months.

Now that you have done well in ODIs, are you confident of being fit to play Test cricket again?
I am playing seven ODIs in a short time and they are against a team like Australia. So I want to see how it goes. I am trying to reach a stage where I can play Test cricket. But I don't want to get too excited and play a Test too soon, bowl 30 overs and get injured again so that I cannot even play ODIs and T20. I am just 30 so I have time on my side. I can afford to be patient.
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In Zaheer Khan's absence, you are now the spearhead. Does such responsibility help when you are making a comeback?
When you are bowling well, you start enjoying the responsibility. For example, bowling during the batting powerplay is very tough.

Especially when the batsmen are set. But I am always bowling two-three overs in powerplays. I am happy that the team is giving me responsibility and I think I am good enough to do well in such a situation.