At Auckland on November 4, 2026, India defeated New Zealand by five wickets in the first ODI of the 2026-27 series. One of the talking points from the match was the bowling spell of Auqib Nabi, who was a late addition to the Indian squad after Prasidh Krishna was ruled out through injury ahead of the one-day series.
Nabi went wicketless across his six overs, conceding 33 runs in total. The young pacer was also unfortunate not to pick up a maiden ODI wicket in the second over when Naman Dhir dropped Tim Seifert at midwicket. Speaking on Sony Sports, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar offered a detailed assessment of Nabi’s performance during New Zealand’s innings.
Gavaskar noted that Nabi showed early promise with the new ball but struggled to maintain that level as his spell progressed.
“I felt he was probably nervous. He got the ball to swing in the first one or two overs, but after that, he didn’t swing the ball. His length was good in the first over, but after that, his length became fuller,” said Gavaskar on Sony Sports.
Gavaskar elaborated further on why the fuller length proved costly at Auckland, where the straight boundaries are notably short.
“His thought process was right because the ball will move a little in the air and after pitching if he bowls full. However, since the straight boundaries are extremely small, the batters took advantage of that and started hitting fours. After that, when he pulled his length back, there was no movement at all,” said Gavaskar.
What did Gavaskar say about Nabi’s nerves and the dropped catch?
Gavaskar’s assessment pointed to nerves as a likely factor behind Nabi’s inconsistency during the spell. The former India opener observed that Nabi’s length was disciplined in the opening over but became progressively fuller as the spell continued, which allowed New Zealand’s batters to free their arms through the straight boundaries.
The dropped catch at midwicket in the second over compounded Nabi’s difficulties. Naman Dhir was the fielder who put down Tim Seifert, denying Nabi what would have been his first ODI wicket. Gavaskar acknowledged that such moments can affect a bowler’s rhythm and confidence, particularly on debut or in early international appearances.
Should India persist with Auqib Nabi for the remaining ODIs?
Despite the difficult outing at Auckland, Gavaskar backed the selectors and team management to continue showing faith in Nabi for the remaining matches of the series. He pointed to the conditions at the upcoming venues as potentially more favourable for a swing bowler of Nabi’s type.
“There are days when you bowl well, but you don’t get wickets. He might get a little more help in Wellington. The match is not at the Basin Reserve. It’s in the other stadium. Had it been at the Basin Reserve, it’s an open ground, and the ball can swing more in the Test match. In this match, it’s the white ball. That also doesn’t swing much,” Gavaskar said.
“However, at times, if you get rhythm in your first over and pick up a wicket, the atmosphere becomes totally different. I feel they should show faith in Nabi. He should be given chances because whether it’s Wellington or Christchurch, he will get a little help on all wickets,” he added.
