Naman Dhir’s three-wicket haul drives India to eight-wicket win in first T20I vs West Indies

Naman Dhir took three wickets on his T20I debut for India against the West Indies in Lucknow on Tuesday, producing a decisive spell that helped India to an eight-wicket victory and brought cheer to skipper Shreyas Iyer and the home side.

Three weeks earlier Dhir was at the Punjab camp preparing for the Ranji Trophy when he learned he had been selected for the India ODI squad; after playing all three 50-over matches he was added to the T20 squad at the eleventh hour, making it a dream fortnight. The all-rounder made his first real mark in international cricket on Tuesday, albeit with his bowling in a facet few have seen. “It was a great feeling when I got the call. I was in the Ranji Trophy camp at the PCA. Right away I called my father; he was emotional; I also got a little emotional,” said Dhir. “Obviously, every kid has a dream to play for the country, so if you represent the country, it’s a big deal. I am from a small town and no one had played for the country from there. So it’s a big deal for me and in our area.”

Match-ups and analytics have made captains reluctant to rely on finger spinners, especially off-spinners, in T20 cricket, but Dhir operated as the fifth bowling option and finished with figures of three for 31 on debut. His contribution with the ball was central to India’s eight-wicket win over the West Indies in Lucknow. The performance gave Iyer an effective bowling foil despite Dhir being a lesser-used spinner in the format until now.

Dhir’s response to being attacked stood out during his spell; the 26-year-old adjusted after being hit, changing his lines and pace to regain control. He varied his deliveries by bowling wide outside off-stump, slowing the ball and altering his length to induce false shots. Remarkably, all his wicket-taking deliveries came just after he was hit for a six.

On his approach, Dhir pointed to watching team-mate Axar Patel in the PowerPlay and adopting a similar plan: “I saw Axar (Patel) bhai in the PowerPlay, where he was bowling a little slow. It was turning. I thought if I slow it down, with the wicket gripping, I can get them out. So I just stuck to my basic plan and got good results,” he added.

Although Dhir has built a reputation as a batsman in the IPL for Mumbai Indians, he said he has long worked on his bowling as well. “I’ve been bowling for a long time. It’s not like I’ve just started. In IPL, yes, there’s an Impact Player rule, so you see me bowling less. But it’s not like I haven’t bowled; I’ve bowled a lot and got wickets.”

“I hope I’ll keep doing well in the future,” said Dhir.