The Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi was expected to make his Test debut based on his Ranji Trophy numbers. But circumstances led to Nabi making his ODI debut before he held the red ball in the India jersey. The J&K pacer admits he didn’t expect to make his ODI debut before Tests, but he is relishing the opportunity to represent India and rub shoulders with the great.
"My record is good in white-ball cricket whenever I play for Jammu and Kashmir. To be honest, I was not expecting I would get a call to play white-ball cricket. I was expecting a red-ball call-up. Nonetheless, it's a good opportunity for me to show my skills," Nabi said in the pre-match press conference on November 12.
"It's good for all of us. We will get a good experience as to how to bowl with the red ball in New Zealand conditions. Staying with the team is always a good experience, you get to learn a lot," he added.
Nabi made his ODI debut against West Indies on a flat track in Guwahati with little assistance for bowlers. After a wicketless ODI debut, he was given a second chance. He was named in the ODI squad for the fourth and fifth ODIs against New Zealand. But Prasidh Krishna was ruled out of the ODI series, and Nabi had to join the ODI squad from the start.
In his first ODI appearance in New Zealand, he remained wicketless in six overs he bowled and conceded 33 runs. He got another chance in Wellington and made it count with wickets of Kiwi openers Will Young and Tim Seifert.
"Whatever wicket you are playing on, whether it is a helping or a flat wicket. Your motive is to put the ball in good areas. And hopefully, when there is help from the wicket, you have to put a lot of attention in that as well. You can go for runs if you are not disciplined," he said.
Nabi gets help from India top-order batters
He also admitted that he got pointers from not just captain Shubman Gill but veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli on how to bowl in Kiwi conditions.
"Actually, this is my first time putting a ball in New Zealand. So, it is a little different here. Here, you have to depend more on the seam movement. Because the top level batsmen play swing. So, that was their feedback (the trio).
"Here, if you do scramble seam or hit the deck, there is a chance to get more wickets here. That is what they told me," said the 30-year-old pacer.
ALSO READ: New Zealand's Bevon Jacobs scores 202, smashes 21 sixes in jaw-dropping batting display
Nabi focuses on skill over pace
Auqib does not have express pace, but he intends to use his skill to outsmart the batter as the action moves to Mount Maunganui for last two ODIs of the series on November 13 and 15.
"Obviously, if you have the pace, it's very good. But my skill, I back that. I have done well in domestic cricket. Here, I have come on skill. if there is pace, it is a plus factor. But I back my skill. What I did well in domestic will be useful here as well," said Nabi.
He is getting help from other pacers as he is not used to bowling on drop-in wickets.
"We discuss with the bowlers as to how to bowl on a particular wicket. And here, because there are a lot of drop-in wickets in New Zealand," said the new-ball bowler.
Nabi to stay in New Zealand for Test preparations
After the ODI series, Nabi will not fly back to India. He will stay in New Zealand to help India batters prepare for the two-Test series.
"Staying with the team is always a good experience. We will get to learn a lot," said Nabi.
Before joining the ODI squad early, Nabi had made an impact in the first four-day game of the series between India A and New Zealand A. He claimed three wickets each in both innings.
Earlier this year, Nabi got his maiden Test call-up as Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement but did not get to make his debut on Sri Lanka tour.
Why doesn’t Nabi celebrate in an animated manner?
There is a stark difference between Nabi and other bowlers in the current ODI squad. He does not celebrate wickets animatedly.
"Yes, that's what I want (being calm). I want to do my job quietly, and show my skills on the field with my batting and bowling," he added.
Ahead of the ODI World Cup 2027, the Indian team management is looking at pacers who can contribute with the bat. Nabi is yet to contribute with the bat. He remained unbeaten for a single in the rain-affected second ODI of the series, where India won by four runs as per the DLS method.
India's squad for 4th and 5th ODI vs New Zealand -
Rohit Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (c), Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan (wk), Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Tilak Varma, Kuldeep Yadav, Kumar Kushagra, Yash Thakur.
With Shubman Gill starting Test series preparations, T20I skipper Shreyas Iyer will make his ODI captaincy debut. Ishan Kishan will don the wicketkeeping gloves in KL Rahul’s absence. Either Ruturaj Gaikwad or Kishan will open the innings alongside Rohit in the fourth ODI. It is not clear whether Test-bound Gurnoor Brar will play in the fourth ODI. If Brar leaves the ODI squad, Mohammed Siraj is highly likely to play his first ODI on the tour.
Pacer Yash Thakur and wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra are two players yet to make their ODI debut. While Thakur has represented India in four T20Is, Kushagra is still an uncapped player.
New Zealand’s squad for 4th vs India -
Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Kristian Clarke, Jacob Duffy, Matt Fisher, Dean Foxcroft, Mitch Hay (wk), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Brett Randell, Tim Seifert (wk), Will Young.