Nehra wants to slip into Zaheer’s shoes

NEW DELHI, Aug 14: Back in reckoning after being on the sidelines for more than three years, injury-prone pacer Ashish Nehra said despite being short of match practice, he is ready to lead the Indian attack in the absence of regular spearhead Zaheer Khan. “In the absence of Zaheer Khan I am ready to be the lead bowler. I may have been out for over three years but people must realise I am a very experienced and have been playing cricket for the last 10 years. I am excited and hope there are no injuries,” Nehra said. Nehra made a comeback to the Indian Team after four years with a successful June ODI tour of West Indies where he took six wickets from three matches to be the leading wicket-taker of the series. “I was happy with my performance in the West Indies tour. I still feel I am bowling at about 80-85 percent of my capability. I am back in rhythm and will soon reach 100 per cent,” he said. Nehra said his stint with the Indian Premier League, where he played for Delhi Daredevils, was crucial in making his resurgence possible. “IPL gave an opportunity to make a comeback into the Indian team after more than three years. IPL is as good as international cricket. Every team has about eight-nine international cricketers so the standard is really high”, he said. “It is a good platform for anybody who has been out of the team and wants to make a comeback into the national squad,” Nehra said. (PTI)