Every match is a knockout: Ashish Nehra

After getting into the record books with a wicket in every match in his first spell, Nehra said he loves opening the bowling and coming back to do wonders at the death. “I am enjoying it. This is not the first time that I have bowled two or three overs in the first six and one or two in the last four. 

That is my job and till the time I am doing that, I am right up there,” he said ahead of India’s practice session at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Tuesday. The fast bowler knows he is donning an important role in the team and is proud to discharge his duties well. 

“My role in the team is very important. We have people like Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami and whatever experience I have from the past 16-17 years, I try to pass it on to them and I am sure it is helping them,” the Delhi-born pacer said. Nehra said the Indians have regained their confidence after their win over Pakistan last weekend. 

“Everyone knows that in this format every game is a knockout (game). Only two teams will qualify. There’s a possibly that a team can win three out of four and still not qualify. Till the time we don’t lift the trophy, every game is a knockout game. There’s no room for error. We have the fire power in us and if we deliver, we will win the game,” the 36-year-old said. 

With India’s top order failing, Nehra said it is not right in judging any player based on a couple of innings or bowling spells. “In India, people live for the moment and that’s the way it is. The team’s targets in the last two games have been 126 and 118 and it so happens that the top order haven’t scored in their last two or three innings and that is why these questions are asked. 

Dhawan was the man-of-the-match in the Asia Cup final and Rohit too has done well. This format is so quick that you can’t judge anybody on just two innings or two bowling spells. 

There is pressure on both batsmen and bowlers,” he added. “Winning the game would be India’s prime concern and improving net-run rate is a distant second. We are aware of that (negative run rate and fourth in the table).  Winning the game comes first. 

Everyone is aware that all the matches are important till we face Australia in Mohali. We are taking one game at a time so we are not thinking that far ahead. We are concentrating on winning the next game for now,” Nehra added.  Nehra said there is no place for complacency in the Indian team. “We all know Bangla has been doing extremely well. They played the Asia Cup final with us, in a stage that had Pakistan and Sri Lanka, ” he said.