'There is a lot of upside...': Former India all-rounder applauds selectors for spotting Gurnoor Brar's talent

After India claimed a commanding seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in the first ODI, debutant pacer Gurnoor Brar became the talk of the town, as he delivered a great performance in his maiden international appearance, recording a spell of 3/27 in 4.5 overs.

In the first ODI, which was played at the Himachal Pradesh cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala, the tall pacer picked key wickets of Ibrahim Zadran, Rashid Khan and Ziaur Rahman which helped India restrict Afghanistan at 194 in the 25 over-per-side game. Gurnoor Brar has been projected as a long-term replacement of Jasprit Bumrah across all formats of the game.

Ravichandran Ashwin showers praise on Gurnoor Brar

Reacting to Brar's performance, former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has lavished praise on the young pacer, saying that the young player has impressive pace and can swing the new ball very well. The former India spinner believes that Brar can be a big asset for Indian cricket.

"Gurnoor Brar, we have to say that he is really impressive. He is tall, and it seems like he is quite strong too. He bowled every ball over 145 kmph. There is a massive upside. The skill, action, and swing he gets with the new ball, there is a lot of upside with him. He can bowl even faster, he is young," said Ashwin on his YouTube Channel.

Reflecting on the controversy on Brar's selection, as he was picked ahead of Auqib Nabi, Ashwin praised the coaches and the selectors for having a good eye saying there is no comparison between Gurnoor and Nabi.

"When the selectors chose Gurnoor Brar, and not Auqib Nabi, many people talked about it. I think it was a very good spot. This is not a comparison between them, but the selectors and the coaches who saw Gurnoor, they have to be praised, that is a really good eye. If he stays fit, and does all the right things, he can become a really big bowler for India in the future," Ashwin added.

Ashwin reflects on Harsh Dubey's performance

While continuing further, Ashwin also opened up on other debutant Harsh Dubey as well. The Vidarbha left-arm spinner was turned out to be a little expensive initially but managed to finish the game on a strong note, as he took three wickets for 47 runs.

"I know Harsh Dubey very well, there was no doubt in my mind that he would be a good player. He always fights, never backs down from a contest. He proved to be a little expensive, but the way he made a comeback, that is Harsh Dubey for you. He can also bat very well," Ashwin said.

Currently, India is 1-0 ahead of Afghanistan in the three-game ODI series. The second ODI will be played on Wednesday, June 17 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.