The Offside
The Delhi left-arm quick was able to do all the fitness drills without any
obvious discomfort. And the Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly also wanted him
in the squad. It then made no sense to drop Nehra on the grounds that he
had not completed his rehabilitation programme.
Even the fitness conscious Australians did not try to prevent their captain
Steve Waugh from playing at the final Ashes Test at Oval recently
though it meant that they were all cocking a snook at medical advice. The
senior Waugh went on to make an unbeaten 150 and prove that mind can
triumph over matter. Nehra, for his part, was mentally geared up for the
South African tour and his body was also in good shape. BCCI secretary Lele
and Indian physio Andrew Leipus both agreed that he was in no obvious
discomfort.
The South African tour happens to be a very important tour and India needed
Nehra, who has been the most impressive Indian fast bowler in recent times.
So it made no sense to keep the young and eager man out of the tour.
Another thing to be noted is that Leipus, who insisted Nehra was kept out
purely to allow him to complete the rehabilitation programme, did not
bother to keep the latter away from what was consequentially a pointless
fitness trial for him. If Nehra's body could not take the stress of playing
matches why was he put through a trial in which a player's match-fitness
was on trial! To take another view, if he could do the drills that the
other 'match-fit' players could do, why was he left out?
The Onside
Nehra is only 22 and in the early phases of what promises to be a bright
career in cricket. Leipus, a physio and so the man who knows best in the
situation, felt that Nehra could possibly jeopardise his future by playing
in South Africa. "I am being tough with him. But I am being fair thinking
about his long-term career. We will rest him for the one-day series and get
him back for the Tests," Leipus told the Times of India. Straight
and simple.
The Delhi left-arm quick in his youthful enthusiasm might have become
desperate to get on the flight to Springbok country. But more than in the
one-dayers, India need him for the crucial Test series that is to follow.
Leipus was right in realising this and looking at the long-term
picture and ensuring that Nehra would only play after he was completely fit.
It might have been a move that was more on the side of caution, but Leipus
then was only following what every cricketer is taught - when in doubt, say
no. Also, if Nehra had played and then broken down, it would have been a
major psychological blow to a side that has already lost quite a few
players to injuries. Leipus and India then have done the right thing.
Nehra's time will come.
