Naman Dhir loves a flourish. He has made only 110 international runs in six innings across the two white-ball formats, but 88 of those — a staggering 80% — have come through boundaries. The powerful right-hander has smashed 10 fours and eight sixes from the 49 deliveries he has faced in One-Day International and Twenty20 International cricket, which has helped him stack up impressive strike-rates of 142.85 and 285.71 respectively.
These are very early days for the 26-year-old from Ambala. Nine international outings hardly constitute a significant or substantial sample size, and it is important not to get carried away and anoint him the next big thing in Indian cricket, as has become a trend if not a habit. He will come up short, maybe even in his next fixture, but what has stood out in his brief foray at the highest level is his composure and calmness under pressure, and his ability to back his strengths and clear boundaries with consummate ease, no matter their length.
No surprise
Given his propensity to make a statement with the bat, it should have come as no surprise that he signalled India’s victory in the first T20I against New Zealand in Christchurch with a six. Alright, so it came off a top edge as he tried to pull Matt Henry over mid-wicket and only managed to deposit it over the fine-leg fence, but that slice of luck was no more than he deserved as he played a stellar role in India mounting a record chase after New Zealand had motored away to 225 for four.
It was New Zealand’s highest T20I total against India, and their joint sixth-highest overall, once again exposing the lack of bite in the visitors’ bowling despite a first bowl in nearly four years for the country for Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the seasoned 36-year-old. There were periods, especially in the first half of the New Zealand innings, when the Indian bowlers kept things under check. But the hosts rattled along at nearly 13 an over in their second half on the back of a blistering unbeaten 82 from Glenn Phillips and a telling final kick from Bevon Jacobs.
For the first time in his fledgling T20I stint, Dhir did not get a bowl. His previous over, against West Indies in Hyderabad just over a week ago, went for 19, and Shreyas Iyer opted not to turn to the off-spinner, instead, using Nitish Kumar’s full complement as the fifth bowler. Perhaps, the Indian captain’s decision was influenced by the experienced Axar Patel’s left-arm spin going for 51 in his four overs, but then again, with Nitish doing a reasonably tidy job – his economy of 10 an over was the joint best for an Indian on the night, alongside the rapid Mayank Yadav – Shreyas had no cause to turn to Dhir.
Maybe, Shreyas knew – the benefit of hindsight? – that Dhir had something special to bring to the table on a cold, dewy Thursday night in the South Island. For India to mount a record chase in New Zealand, they needed many things to go their way – for the openers to lay a solid, fiery platform, for the middle-order to weigh in and for someone to take the game by the scruff of the knock and apply the finishing touches that often look so straightforward but are instead fraught with immense pressure and danger, especially after one or two dot balls.
Shreyas Iyer greets Naman Dhir after the latter took India home in the series-opener against the Kiwis. | Photo Credit: AP
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma ticked the first box with a breathtaking opening salvo spanning a mere 35 deliveries, largely dominated by the right-hander from Kerala. It’s not often that Abhishek gets so extraordinarily overshadowed that his contribution in an alliance of 93 is only 29, though in his favour is the fact that he got to face 23 deliveries fewer than Samson during that period. When the left-hander was dismissed by offie Michael Bracewell off the penultimate delivery of the PowerPlay, he had put India in the driver’s seat, having struck two fours and three sixes during his 12-ball blitz.
Samson hammered 67 at better than two runs a ball but when he, Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan – the two left-handers swapped places with the vice-captain moving up to No. 3 and the diminutive Kishan slotting in at No. 5 – were dismissed within seven runs of each other in the space of 10 deliveries, India were in a spot at 122 for four, needing a further 104 in 57 deliveries. As much as keeping in touch with the required rate was the pressing need to steady the ship and that’s precisely what Shreyas and Axar did. Axar provided the impetus too with 24 off 14, exiting the scene to herald the arrival at the batting crease of Dhir.
The key
The consensus at the time, with victory 61 runs away and just 33 deliveries in which to be attained, was that Shreyas held the key, even though India batted deep with Dhir at No. 7 and Nitish at No. 8. Apart from being the captain, Shreyas’ credentials are second to none and he has shown time and again that he is immune to the tension that comes with a stiff target ahead of him. But it couldn’t be Shreyas alone who did the heavy lifting. India needed to score quickly from both ends with the required rate bordering on 12, which is when Dhir stepped up to deliver the knockout blows.
In domestic T20s, and in the IPL for Mumbai Indians, Dhir has shown himself to be a crisp ball-striker who is unafraid to hit in the air. In the position where he bats, at No. 6 or No. 7 (as was the case on this night), he is seldom required to do anything more than tee off from ball one. When he walked out to carry forward India’s spirited chase, he couldn’t have asked for a more dramatic script to leave his imprint.
Last Saturday in Bengaluru, in the final T20I against West Indies which eventually met a watery end, Dhir had reiterated the power and timing that nestles in his lithe, wiry frame. In a match reduced to nine overs a side due to inclement weather, India had reached 88 with 17 deliveries remaining when Naman strode out at No. 6 to link up with Tilak. Over the next nine minutes and six balls, he made a spectacular impact. Nine minutes? Six balls? Spectacular impact? You’ve got to be kidding.
Naman Dhir smashed an unbeaten 24 off just six balls against the West Indies in the Bengaluru T20I. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR
Ah, but we kid you not. Three of those six deliveries soared over the fence, propelled by strong forearms and impeccable timing. As he eased his left foot down the track and struck the ball over long-off, aesthetics and result grappled for attention. There was a certain nonchalance to his ball-smacking that reminded us – whisper, whisper – of a mirror image from a past era of another debonair batter from Punjab, who answers to the name of Yuvraj Singh. Dhir doesn’t have the same swagger as Yuvi – it’s unlikely that he, or anyone else, can replicate that – but there was an unmistakable air of authority that was cruelly, rudely washed away by the elements that ended India’s innings, and the match, after 7.4 overs.
Dhir was unbeaten on 24, courtesy one four and three sixes, finishing with a strike rate of 400. Coming on the back of his 30 off 21 deliveries in his only bat in ODIs in New Chandigarh, his nominal home ground, last month, it suggested that here was a batter who, at No. 6 or No. 7, provided an additional power-hitting option to go with Shivam Dube and Nitish.
What Dhir did therefore at the Hagley Oval was not miraculous or completely out of the blue. New Zealand knew what he was capable of – several of the Kiwis have done battle with and against him in the IPL – and realised, even after Shreyas’ fall with 20 needed off 11, that the game was far from over. Their worst fears came true with Naman pummelling an unbeaten 42 off just 15 deliveries, propelled by five fours and two sixes.
Unflustered
Nitish’s share in the unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 20 was just two, with Dhir contributing 18 in just six deliveries, among them two fours and a six. Unflustered in the middle, refusing to pre-meditate and backing himself not to blink in his first match for the country away from home, Naman brought up victory with four deliveries to spare, ensuring that the breakneck opening stand didn’t go in vain or that the mid-innings collapse did not pull the team down.
If he hasn’t already, Dhir could soon supplant Washington Sundar as the preferred off-spinning all-rounder — Shreyas would be well advised to use his bowling nous too more often. Naman has five T20I scalps, but beware if you hit him for a six because each of those five wickets has come a ball after the batter has carted him beyond the boundary buntings. Unless he bowls more often, he won’t become more attuned to the challenges of the middle overs, and even though conditions in New Zealand may not encourage too many stints with the ball, Naman will have his opportunities next month, when Sri Lanka come calling, and beyond.
To many, Dhir was the obvious choice for the Player-of-the-Match award which instead went to Samson for his tone-setting 33-ball 67. But especially at this stage of his career, Dhir is less interested in such ‘mundane’ things and more invested in setting himself up as a permanent choice. And in any case, team before self has been the mantra of Indian cricket for a while now, so why should Dhir be any different?