When Gurnoor Brar sent down a 148-kmph delivery in just the fourth ball of his international career during the first ODI against Afghanistan on Saturday, it underlined why India’s selectors had invested in the young left-arm pacer despite limited top-level experience.
Standing over six feet tall, Brar combined a relaxed run-up with natural bounce and late away movement to trouble the Afghanistan batters. He finished his debut spell with figures of 3/27, including the wicket of opener Ibrahim Zadran, who was dismissed by a rising delivery from a back-of-a-length. The performance also appeared to justify the faith shown in him by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, which had backed him as a long-format prospect ahead of several domestic performers.
