Friends in need, old pace partners inspire each other

An excited Balaji wanted to talk about his sudden high. And the optimism wasn8217;t one-sided during the late-night call since Nehra, too, had happy memories of the last game he had played. Finally, the men had something else in common 8212; they had both got the man-of-the-match award in their last games. The tide had turned.

Nehra recalls the words of his friend, whom he will play against tomorrow as Mumbai host Chennai. 8220;Balaji was very happy and a bit emotional. You could see it from his face even when he went to collect his award. The problem in India is that people forget you when you8217;re not playing international cricket,8221; says Nehra. The left-arm paceman has painted a dream scenario for tomorrow8217;s game, and he lets the secret out in jest: 8220;I can8217;t help but be happy for Balaji even if takes our wickets. It would be perfect if we win the game with both of us getting wickets.8221;

Forgotten easily

Nehra speaks about the aftermath of the 2004 tour, where Balaji was at his peak and became a cult hero in Pakistan. 8220;Not just there, he bowled well even when Pakistan were here. But he got injured in the one-dayers,8221; he says. It was during this period that calls between the two men became more frequent. 8220;We were together in England for rehabilitation and I introduced him to a number of my friends there. They really helped him. Last season when I was traveling with the Ranji team I went to Chennai and we were together for five days,8221; Nehra says.

The Delhi pacer sums his bond with Balaji in a simple sentence: 8220;He knew how tough it was for me and I knew how tough is was going to be for him.8221; He says it8217;s important to hear comforting words from someone who understands your situation during an injury crisis. 8220;I wouldn8217;t worry if I was dropped because I know I can work hard and make a comeback. But with injuries, the inactivity and boredom is tough to deal with,8221; he says.

Things are getting better for him. Nehra has been among wickets after a slow start to IPL. Not just that, he was seen diving on the boundary line during the last game 8212; something that rarely happened in the past even when he was fully fit. 8220;After that dive Shaun came to me and said, 8216;if you field like that, let any batsmen come to the crease, we8217;re winning this game8217;.8221;

The game8217;s newest format isn8217;t easy for the bowlers but the Old Boys8217; Club is sticking together to stay afloat.