Gun pace, lethal swing: 6ft 5in Gurnoor Brar makes a big impression in Dharamsala
India fast bowler Gurnoor impressed on his debut for India on Saturday, June 13. Playing against Afghanistan, Gurnoor bowled at high pace, justifying his fast tracking to the Indian cricket team.
The apology should be as loud as the disrespect. And many perhaps owe that to chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, who fast-tracked Gurnoor Brar into the Indian team ahead of crowd favourite Auqib Nabi. The choice infuriated sections of Indian cricket fans and perhaps rightly so, because Nabi delivered one of the greatest Ranji Trophy seasons in recent history - taking 60 wickets and guiding Jammu and Kashmir to a historic title earlier this year.
Nabi, a quintessential workhorse in the Indian domestic ecosystem, did not make the final cut despite many expecting him to get the nod. Perhaps ignoring Nabi was not justified, but Saturday's rain-curtailed ODI match in Dharamsala once again showed that Agarkar knew what he was doing and, more importantly, that he was not afraid of making bold calls.
Because if there is one thing that has become clear during Agarkar's tenure, it is that the Indian team is no longer selecting only on output. It is selecting for profile.
And Gurnoor Brar, at least on first impressions, fits a profile that India have quietly been chasing for a while now.
6ft 5in, built like a tank, Gurnoor Brar impressed many on his national team debut on Saturday, June 13. Bowling in the misty conditions of Dharamsala, Gurnoor not only impressed with his pace and bounce, but also with his seam presentation, finding ample outswing in the foothills of Dhauladhar.
THE SHUBMAN-GURNOOR RELATIONSHIP
Having played his cricket with Shubman Gill since his childhood days, there was a brutish confidence that surrounded Gurnoor Brar during his five-over spell in Dharamsala.
After receiving the India cap from his childhood friend turned India captain, Gurnoor breezed into his run-up in just the second over of the match.
The first delivery was clocked at 147 kph.
Perhaps adrenaline took over because he missed his radar, bowling an outswinging full toss that opener Ibrahim Zadran failed to time.
Realising that the ball was moving in the conditions, Gurnoor shortened his length slightly and began hitting the deck harder with his big frame.
The result was immediate - the wicket of Zadran, who skied an attempted lofted drive and handed Gurnoor Brar his first international wicket.
What made the moment better was who completed the catch.
Standing at mid-off, Shubman Gill backtracked and held onto the chance cleanly, giving his childhood friend a confidence-boosting wicket in the very first over of his India career.
Later, Gurnoor joked that there was never any fear once the ball went towards Gill. That kind of trust between captain and fast bowler can go a long way.
If you do not believe that, ask Imran Khan's Pakistan. For years, Imran built his attack around trust and aggression, backing his fast bowlers through spells and allowing them to attack without fear of consequence.
Then came a forced cosmetic change in the ball itself, whose stitching had come apart, signifying the power and the intent with which Gurnoor had been hitting the surface at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.
In his opening spell, not a single ball that Gurnoor bowled dropped below the 140s. In fact, most deliveries were clocked close to 150 kph - something that would have surely left a smile on the chief selector's face, once a rapid fast bowler himself.
IND vs AFG, 1st ODI: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Former cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Graeme Swann were impressed with the debut as well.
"I was very impressed with Gurnoor Brar. He bowled a tight line and length. His pace was good, and he got the ball to move just a little. You don't need extravagant swing on debut. Control is more important. For a debutant, his control was excellent. What he has done is unbelievable. He looks a very good prospect," Sunil Gavaskar said on JioStar.
"His first ball was around mid-140s, moving away from the right-hander. Anyone will tell you, if you can bowl at that pace with the ability to take the ball away, that's gold. Add decent control, good height and the ability to hit the splice of the bat - you deserve that first wicket. He showed all those qualities. Very promising start," Graeme Swann added.
That promise is what Agarkar and the Indian team have essentially been chasing.
INDIA ALREADY PREPARING FOR WORLD CUPS
A tall fast bowler with the ability to bowl close to 150 kph, and perhaps even quicker in the future, could turn out to be a huge asset for India in the World Cups of 2027 and 2028.
This is not the first time Agarkar has backed a prospect who was not fully developed at the time of selection.
He did something similar while fast-tracking Harshit Rana into the Indian team after the Indian Premier League 2024, when India were preparing for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
Rana, another bowler of similar profile, offered height, awkward bounce and the ability to consistently hit the deck hard.
At the time too, there were questions. Why not reward the best domestic season? Why not pick the safer option?
But over time, Rana's role started becoming clearer.
Earlier a hit-the-deck bowler who relied heavily on cutters as variation, Rana transformed into a strike bowler with the ability to move the ball both ways. Against Australia, he was bowling round the wicket to Travis Head and shaping the ball away from the left-hander.
That growth could not have happened had India simply relied on domestic numbers and selected the highest wicket-taker from that cycle. Which, once again, was unfortunately Auqib Nabi.
This is not to say Nabi should not have been selected after a record-shattering season.
That debate remains fair.
AGARKAR'S SELECTION POLICY
But there appears to be consistency in the way Agarkar is operating. The selectors seem willing to sacrifice immediate reward if they believe a player's ceiling fits what India might need two years later.
Initial impressions of Gurnoor Brar suggested that he might already be a more complete bowler than Harshit Rana was when the Delhi pacer first broke into the Indian side.
If Gurnoor develops well, a pace quartet of him, Rana, Bumrah and one of Siraj or Arshdeep could become a dangerous proposition in Australian and South African conditions.
For now, though, one five-over spell is all India have seen. Three wickets, a damaged ball are only an indication of the promise that Gurnoor holds. It is not a definitive guarantee that he will be a success for the Indian national team.
But that was never the point of the selection.
Agarkar did not pick Gurnoor Brar for what he already was. He picked him for what he thought he could become. And if Saturday was any indication, the chairman of selectors may have seen something before everyone else did.
The apology should be as loud as the disrespect. And many perhaps owe that to chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, who fast-tracked Gurnoor Brar into the Indian team ahead of crowd favourite Auqib Nabi. The choice infuriated sections of Indian cricket fans and perhaps rightly so, because Nabi delivered one of the greatest Ranji Trophy seasons in recent history - taking 60 wickets and guiding Jammu and Kashmir to a historic title earlier this year.
Nabi, a quintessential workhorse in the Indian domestic ecosystem, did not make the final cut despite many expecting him to get the nod. Perhaps ignoring Nabi was not justified, but Saturday's rain-curtailed ODI match in Dharamsala once again showed that Agarkar knew what he was doing and, more importantly, that he was not afraid of making bold calls.
Because if there is one thing that has become clear during Agarkar's tenure, it is that the Indian team is no longer selecting only on output. It is selecting for profile.
And Gurnoor Brar, at least on first impressions, fits a profile that India have quietly been chasing for a while now.
6ft 5in, built like a tank, Gurnoor Brar impressed many on his national team debut on Saturday, June 13. Bowling in the misty conditions of Dharamsala, Gurnoor not only impressed with his pace and bounce, but also with his seam presentation, finding ample outswing in the foothills of Dhauladhar.
THE SHUBMAN-GURNOOR RELATIONSHIP
Having played his cricket with Shubman Gill since his childhood days, there was a brutish confidence that surrounded Gurnoor Brar during his five-over spell in Dharamsala.
After receiving the India cap from his childhood friend turned India captain, Gurnoor breezed into his run-up in just the second over of the match.
The first delivery was clocked at 147 kph.
Perhaps adrenaline took over because he missed his radar, bowling an outswinging full toss that opener Ibrahim Zadran failed to time.
Realising that the ball was moving in the conditions, Gurnoor shortened his length slightly and began hitting the deck harder with his big frame.
The result was immediate - the wicket of Zadran, who skied an attempted lofted drive and handed Gurnoor Brar his first international wicket.
What made the moment better was who completed the catch.
Standing at mid-off, Shubman Gill backtracked and held onto the chance cleanly, giving his childhood friend a confidence-boosting wicket in the very first over of his India career.
Later, Gurnoor joked that there was never any fear once the ball went towards Gill. That kind of trust between captain and fast bowler can go a long way.
If you do not believe that, ask Imran Khan's Pakistan. For years, Imran built his attack around trust and aggression, backing his fast bowlers through spells and allowing them to attack without fear of consequence.
Then came a forced cosmetic change in the ball itself, whose stitching had come apart, signifying the power and the intent with which Gurnoor had been hitting the surface at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.
In his opening spell, not a single ball that Gurnoor bowled dropped below the 140s. In fact, most deliveries were clocked close to 150 kph - something that would have surely left a smile on the chief selector's face, once a rapid fast bowler himself.
IND vs AFG, 1st ODI: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Former cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Graeme Swann were impressed with the debut as well.
"I was very impressed with Gurnoor Brar. He bowled a tight line and length. His pace was good, and he got the ball to move just a little. You don't need extravagant swing on debut. Control is more important. For a debutant, his control was excellent. What he has done is unbelievable. He looks a very good prospect," Sunil Gavaskar said on JioStar.
"His first ball was around mid-140s, moving away from the right-hander. Anyone will tell you, if you can bowl at that pace with the ability to take the ball away, that's gold. Add decent control, good height and the ability to hit the splice of the bat - you deserve that first wicket. He showed all those qualities. Very promising start," Graeme Swann added.
That promise is what Agarkar and the Indian team have essentially been chasing.
INDIA ALREADY PREPARING FOR WORLD CUPS
A tall fast bowler with the ability to bowl close to 150 kph, and perhaps even quicker in the future, could turn out to be a huge asset for India in the World Cups of 2027 and 2028.
This is not the first time Agarkar has backed a prospect who was not fully developed at the time of selection.
He did something similar while fast-tracking Harshit Rana into the Indian team after the Indian Premier League 2024, when India were preparing for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
Rana, another bowler of similar profile, offered height, awkward bounce and the ability to consistently hit the deck hard.
At the time too, there were questions. Why not reward the best domestic season? Why not pick the safer option?
But over time, Rana's role started becoming clearer.
Earlier a hit-the-deck bowler who relied heavily on cutters as variation, Rana transformed into a strike bowler with the ability to move the ball both ways. Against Australia, he was bowling round the wicket to Travis Head and shaping the ball away from the left-hander.
That growth could not have happened had India simply relied on domestic numbers and selected the highest wicket-taker from that cycle. Which, once again, was unfortunately Auqib Nabi.
This is not to say Nabi should not have been selected after a record-shattering season.
That debate remains fair.
AGARKAR'S SELECTION POLICY
But there appears to be consistency in the way Agarkar is operating. The selectors seem willing to sacrifice immediate reward if they believe a player's ceiling fits what India might need two years later.
Initial impressions of Gurnoor Brar suggested that he might already be a more complete bowler than Harshit Rana was when the Delhi pacer first broke into the Indian side.
If Gurnoor develops well, a pace quartet of him, Rana, Bumrah and one of Siraj or Arshdeep could become a dangerous proposition in Australian and South African conditions.
For now, though, one five-over spell is all India have seen. Three wickets, a damaged ball are only an indication of the promise that Gurnoor holds. It is not a definitive guarantee that he will be a success for the Indian national team.
But that was never the point of the selection.
Agarkar did not pick Gurnoor Brar for what he already was. He picked him for what he thought he could become. And if Saturday was any indication, the chairman of selectors may have seen something before everyone else did.
