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Age is just a number for me: Nehra

Veteran pacer Ashish Nehra made a fabulous comeback and played a key role in helping India level the three match T20 series in Nagpur.

There have been calls for grooming youngsters and giving them more chances rather than banking on older players.

But, Nehra who was instrumental in India's five run win over England dismissed age-related issues and said that it takes one game to get into the groove.

"Whether I'm playing 50 overs or T20 or if I'm bowling in the nets with a single stump to aim at, I've never felt short of match practice. It takes me only one game to get back into the groove," Nehra, who picked three crucial wickets in the second T20 told PTI.

Nehra, 37, underwent a knee surgery after the IPL and returned to play in India colours further stressed that he will be playing domestic cricket.

"I will play domestic cricket in the coming months - 50 overs and T20 and there's IPL too for two months. I believe if you've been playing so much for so long, match practice is very important whether you're a bowler or batsman.

"People like me or MS Dhoni who are not playing Test cricket right now, we have to play domestic games and ultimately experience does matter," he said.

Speaking on the age-related criticism, Nehra said,

"Regarding age, unfortunately in India, if you keep performing well then people will praise you. And if the team loses couple of matches, then people won't criticize the rest of the 15 but will say Ashish Nehra should be dropped. It doesn't make a difference to me but age is just a number.

"I know how hard it is to stay fit because I'm a fast bowler and I bowl in the beginning and end both. But I'm enjoying my game and till my body is fit, I'll keep trying and playing. I played the last game after 7-8 months but I didn't feel I was short of practice or anything. When you are playing day in and day out, you get better with time but I personally don't feel that rusty or anything," he said.

India were defending a small total in the second T20 and Nehra gave the home side a perfect start by picking early wickets.

"When you are defending a score like 145, it is important to pick up a wicket up front, which we got in my over. It puts pressure on the batsman. With the wicket slow, if you take two-three wickets early then the batsman will be on the back-foot.

"If Amit Mishra had not bowled a no-ball, we could have been in the game earlier. When Ben Stokes hit two sixes and a four, they were ahead. It keeps going up and down. You cannot say anything in a T20 till it's over," he said referring to Mishra dismissing Stokes but the ball being declared a no-ball.

Nehra said the key to bowling well at the death, for which he praised teammate and man-of-the-match Jasprit Bumrah, is to "keep backing yourself mentally".

"You practice the skills in the nets, but I personally feel as a bowler it is mental toughness that counts. It is not the first time that Jasprit and I are bowling together in the death. It's always difficult for a bowler to bowl four overs in the death with a wet ball.

"When I came they needed 32 off four overs, and I knew this has to be over where we have to pull it off. Luckily it happened that over went for five or six and Ben Stokes got out. We were back in the game, but my last over was fine till the last ball went for a six. Had I picked up a wicket, we would have had 15 to defend in the final over and Jasprit Bumrah's bowling is not easy to score. He still did the job."

Nehra further went on to praise Jasprit Bumrah who bowled beautifully at the death to hand India a thrilling win.

"I was confident after (Jos) Buttler got out that Jasprit will do the job. I have been playing T20s with him for the last one year and he backs himself in the death. Bumrah's strength is bowling with the old ball - whether it's the slower ball or yorker. He's learning day by day and he will only get better from here," he signed off.



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