Gurnoor picked up three wickets in the first ODI against Afghanistan.
Gurnoor Brar had a dream debut for India, picking up three wickets in the first ODI against Afghanistan at the scenic HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Saturday (June 13).
The 6-foot-5-inch speedster from Punjab needed only five deliveries in international cricket to claim his maiden wicket, removing Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran.
Operating consistently at speeds above 145 kmph and touching close to 150 kmph, Gurnoor heavily troubled batters with steep bounce. He closed out his spell beautifully by picking up two more wickets (Rashid Khan and Zia-ur-Rehman) in the final over of the innings.
In a rain-curtailed 25-over contest, Gurnoor’s disciplined figures of 4.5-0-27-3 helped restrict Afghanistan to 194, paving the way for a comfortable seven-wicket victory for India.
After the game, Gurnoor Brar interacted with skipper Shubman Gill for bcci.tv and shared his feelings on making India debut. He reflected on the hard work that got him to this stage.
“It’s a special feeling, like all the hard work finally paid off. All the grind, like I did in this heat, and in winter especially. And yeah… it’s a special moment,” Gurnoor said.
On being asked what was he thinking when he bowled the first over, the 26-year-old stated: “I wouldn’t say there was pressure, but there was excitement. Like, I have to do well for India, I have to bowl well. Obviously, everyone wants to give their best here, and I was doing the same. And it’s nothing, just had to give my best, and with God’s grace, it went well.”
Gurnoor admitted that the first wicket brought a sense of relief as it was a milestone he was keen to cross.
During the chase, India rode on Gill’s unbeaten 84 off 66 balls to chase down the target of 195 with 13 deliveries to spare. Ishan Kishan (34 off 22) and KL Rahul (39* off 19) also made notable contributions.
During the interaction, Gurnoor also complimented the Indian captain for his knock that earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.