Ashish Wednesday

He began the day sitting in the dressing-room, waiting for the results of his fitness test as his possible replacement warmed up outside. He...

He began the day sitting in the dressing-room, waiting for the results of his fitness test as his possible replacement warmed up outside. He ended it with 6 wickets for 23 runs, the third-best bowling figures in world cup history.

In between, Ashish Nehra bowled 10 inspired, lethal overs in one single spell to destroy England almost singlehanded, and to redefine the face of Indian cricket: roll over batsmen, the pace attack is winning the matches. For when was the last time all wickets bar one run-out fell to Indian pacers?


Harbhajan, Dravid, Yuvraj and Kaif rush to Nehra after he despatches Michael Vaughan. Reuters

Perhaps Nehra took heart from the brilliant speed and swing of Srinath and Zaheer, who kept beating the English batsmen 8212; 13 times between the 6th and 10th overs. But they could only pick up one wicket between them when Nehra walked in for his spell.

Zaheer and Srinath may have swung the ball a bit too much, so that it missed the all-important edge. Nehra was a shade slower than the two and found the conditions perfect, pitching the ball bang on the blind spot and then moving it away. That was his stock ball 8212; for the batsmen, the shock ball. What made the delivery deadly was the speed: at 140 kmph, it gave the batsman little time to pull away from the shot he8217;d been induced into.

He had to wait till the second for his first wicket, the prize scalp of English skipper Nasser Hussain: an away-swinger that took the edge and went behind to Dravid. Four more wickets were taken in this manner but the best was the one that felled Paul Collingwood. The all-rounder was squared up by a delivery that moved in the air towards leg and middle and then took off towards the off, kissed the bat and sped towards the strategically placed lone slip. The one incoming ball which fetched Nehra a wicket was to Alec Stewart; the England 8217;keeper had no time to move as it hit him on the pads in middle and leg.

Nehra8217;s a bowler who8217;s suffered more than his share of injuries since a promising debut against Zimbabwe two years ago. It was against Zimbabwe, ironically, that he surprised everybody by clocking over 140kphs. That prompted Ganguly to give him the new ball against Namibia. But after bowling just one delivery he injured his ankle and had to leave the field. He spent the next three days in limbo and almost didn8217;t make it today. Then he heard destiny calling.

Sandeep Dwivedi

Sandeep Dwivedi is the Sports Editor at The Indian Express. He is one of India's most prominent sports journalists, known for his deep analytical insights and storytelling that often goes beyond scores and statistics to explore the human and cultural side of sports. Professional Profile Role: As the Sports Editor, he leads the sports coverage for the newspaper and the website. Weekly Column: He writes "The Sports Column," a weekly feature where he provides sharp, narrative-driven perspectives on the biggest sporting news of the week. Podcast: He is a frequent contributor to the "Express Sports" podcast (Game Time), where he discusses evolving trends in cricket and other international sports. Areas of Expertise While Dwivedi covers the entire sporting spectrum, his work is particularly noted in the following areas: Cricket: He provides extensive coverage of the Indian National Team and the IPL. He frequently analyzes the leadership styles of figures like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir. He is known for tracking the transition phases of Indian cricket and the evolution of specific players like Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant. Athletics & Olympic Sports: He has written extensively on Neeraj Chopra’s rise in javelin, the nuances of Indian shooting, and tennis legends like Sania Mirza and Leander Paes. Human Interest Stories: A hallmark of his writing is his focus on the struggles and backgrounds of athletes, such as the sacrifices made by Shafali Verma’s father or the "silent battles" of veteran players like Cheteshwar Pujara. Notable Recent Work & Themes Leadership and Dynamics: Recently, he has written about the dynamic between Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, arguing that personal friendship is not a prerequisite for team success. Sports & Culture: His articles often intersect with global culture, such as his deep dive into the 100-year legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters and their role as American soft power during the Cold War. The "Grey Areas" of Sport: He often addresses sensitive topics like the mental health of cricketers post-retirement, the "outrage industry" in sports broadcasting, and the impact of fan-wars on the game. Tenure and Experience Dwivedi has been with The Indian Express for over three decades. This experience allows him to provide historical context to modern sporting events, often comparing current crises or triumphs to those of previous generations. You can follow his latest work and columns on his official Indian Express Author Profile. ... Read More