Here's What Makes Ashish Nehra Team India's Ultimate Underdog

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Fast approaching 37, Ashish Nehra has been the unsung hero of India's bowling resurgence in Twenty20 cricket. It came as a surprise to many when Nehra got picked in India's side to tour Australia and be a part of the Twenty20s - a format generally suited for youngsters.

And Nehraji, as everyone calls him out of respect, has repaid the faith shown in him. His job in the team is very simple, make the best use of the new ball, take wickets and keep the runs down. And, he did that superbly on Wednesday night during his 3/23 effort against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup T20 opener helping India to a comprehensive 45-run win.

Nehra The Unplayable

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His opening over saw five balls squaring up and beating the batsmen all ends up. Not just Bangladesh's opener Soumya Sarkar but any top left-hander in modern day cricket would've found his Wasim Akram-like movement difficult to face up to.

When Nehra Rewrites The Saying 'Old Is Gold'

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The more you look at him, the more you it becomes clear that T20 cricket is not about age, it is about fitness. Seeing the way he throws himself around in the field, while trying to stop each run and going for those audacious saves in the outfield, we wonder whether he actually made his debut 17 years back.

But with a career spanning 10-12 injury lay-offs that kept him out of the team after making a serious impression on his return, Nehra leaves nothing to chance and says he needs to perform day in and day out to keep his place. "The pressure in international cricket is too much to perform. I need to keep doing my best each time I go out and that's how I will remain in the team. It is difficult for fast bowlers to keep performing consistently but that's how it is," Nehra said after India's win in Mirpur.

He's Being Joked About The Most

Recently the meme went viral showing Jasprit Bumrah, Nehra's new-ball bowling partner in the T20 team, being just 5 years old when the lanky Delhi pacer made his international cricket debut. He's also the sort of guy who everyone wants to make fun off at first. Be it his rising price money in the IPL auction or an expensive over or a dropped catch in the field, Nehra has for most times, been made the butt of all jokes but that has never bothered him.

A Master Of Bowling In Death Overs

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In fact if you see his record barring the inconsistent spells, the odd expensive over in key matches - like the group game against South Africa in the 2011 World Cup where Robin Petersen hit him for 13 runs, Nehra has had a clean record in international cricket. Two times while defending a target, he's proven his ability as a death bowler. Once in Karachi when India were defending 349, he disallowed Moin Khan and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan from scoring nine runs in the final over and then in 2009, Nehra's tight bowling saw Sri Lanka unable to score the 11 needed in the last over in their chase of India's 414.

Even on Wednesday, coming in to bowl his final over after bamboozling the batsmen in his first spell of three overs with the new ball, Nehra looked a very difficult bowler to score off and this is the skill that India desperately needs to make the most of going into the World T20 at home.

Nehra's record after coming back from the T20 series in Australia has only improved with five wickets at less than six runs per over against Sri Lanka in three T20s and three scalps on Wednesday. Surely, Nehraji is here to stay the teams would be well advised to fear India's ultimate underdog.