Ashish Nehra brings to the popping-crease most of the virtues of a classical left-arm fast bowler - pace, accuracy, subtle variations of line and length, an ability to move the ball off the wicket and a devastating late inswinger that can harass the best. He came out of his first full tour - to Zimbabwe in 2000-01 - with his reputation as one of the most promising new-ball bowlers on the international circuit vastly enhanced, and his performance at Bulawayo played a key role in India's winning a Test outside the subcontinent for the first time in 15 years. He struggled to establish himself thereafter, as inconsistency and injuries saw him slip down the pace bowling list. The high point of that difficult period came in the 2003 World Cup against England, where he scalped 6-23 and then threw up by the side of the pitch. Surgery on a troublesome ankle, and an indifferent tour of Australia followed, but having ceased to be an automatic pick, he performed creditably in Pakistan. His injury battles returned to haunt him when he pulled out midway through the 2005 Zimbabwe tour and he had a succession of operations on his ankle that slowed down his career. He hit the headlines with creditable showings in the IPL, particularly in the second season, and was recalled to the ODI squad for the tour of West Indies in June 2009.
Dileep Premachandran June 2009