After wicketless Day 1, Auqib Nabi makes Kuldeep Yadav his 1st wicket on County debut for Surrey; watch video

India’s uncapped pacer Auqib Nabi made his County debut for Surrey against Yorkshire on September 2 in the ongoing County Championship Division One 2026. Nabi went wicketless on a rain-affected Day 1 where he bowled 11 overs including two maidens and conceded 25 runs. On Day 2, he was charged with the task to get the breakthrough. He broke the eighth-wicket partnership with the wicket of his Indian teammate Kuldeep Yadav who faced 53 deliveries to score 17 runs.

On the first ball of his second over of Day 2, Nabi bowled a probing length to Kuldeep from around the stumps with two slips and a gully in place. Kuldeep was drawn into the mistake of poking at a delivery away from his body and he was caught at second slip by England's Ollie Pope.

ALSO READ: Dropped from Test squad, One Pakistan player refused to attend royal meeting with King Charles in protest: Report

Kuldeep’s crucial partnership with Bess, Nabi bowls 2 no-balls

Kuldeep shared a 53-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Dominic Bess. Nabi bowled a total of 15 overs including three maidens and conceded 33 runs. He bowled two no-balls as well. He was the only bowler in the attack to bowl a no ball in the innings, an issue which was recently highlighted on the Sri Lanka tour among Indian bowlers as well.

ALSO READ: Gambhir not to coach Shreyas Iyer-led T20I side in Asian Games 2026, Laxman to take over again

Yorkshire all out for 185, Nabi didn’t open the bowling

For Yorkshire, Bess remained not out for 44 off 88 balls. James Wharton and Matthew Rewis scored in 40s as well after the top-order collapse. England's dropped pacer Matthew Fisher had bagged a couple of wickets with the new ball. Daniel Worrall bagged three wickets as Nabi was used as first-change bowler, not handed the ball straight away by skipper Rory Burns. 23-year-old pace-bowling all-rounder Tom Lawes claimed a four-wicket haul, moping up the tail to bowl out Yorkshire for 185 in 75.4 overs. Another Indian in Surrey bowling lineup, leg-spinner Rahul Chahar bowled two overs on Day 1 and did not get a wicket.

Nabi for New Zealand Test series?

Nabi had received his maiden Test call-up as replacement for an injured Jasprit Bumrah for Sri Lanka tour. He was behind in the pecking order and did not get to make his Test debut like Gurnoor Brar on spin-friendly Sri Lanka surfaces. Nabi has a chance to prove his mettle for Surrey in his short County stint and make a case to be picked for the tour of New Zealand where conditions will favour the pacers.