'Attitude showed hunger' – Gurnoor Brar gets praise from Abhishek Nayar after impressive Edgbaston returns

Abhishek Nayar, the former India assistant coach, has backed young fast bowler Gurnoor Brar following his eye-catching performance in the opening ODI against England at Edgbaston on Tuesday, July 14. Making his first overseas appearance for India, Brar started shaky as Ben Duckett dispatched him for quick runs, but he bounced back impressively with a two-wicket burst that shifted the momentum entirely in India's favour.

Brar was hit for 17 runs in his opening over, with Duckett striking four and two sixes off the young pacer's deliveries. Indian captain Shubman Gill gave one over to Washington Sundar, allowing Brar to change ends, which worked wonders as he dismissed both Jacob Bethell and Duckett in his third over. The tall seamer picked up 2 for 61 from nine overs in the team's win by six wickets.

"Actually, I was very impressed with Gurnoor Brar. Both wickets, I won't say they were exceptional balls, but the attitude that he showed reflected the hunger he has. He went for a lot of runs in his first over. After that, you could see the aggressive intent in him. He took the ball and threw it," Nayar said on JioStar.

What made Brar's two-wicket burst so crucial for India?

The turnaround was significant. Gurnoor struck twice in the same over to remove England openers Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell, triggering a collapse that saw the hosts slump from 61 without loss to 80 for 5. Nayar highlighted the psychological edge this created.

"He was at Ben Duckett. Also part of the reason why he played that shot is because you could see a battle emerge between the both of them. Gurnoor Brar changed the momentum of the game. If Ben Duckett had played for four or five more overs, things would have been very, very different," the former assistant coach observed.

The English opener scythed to the deep third, where Bumrah completed a fine relay catch to himself right on the boundary. That crucial dismissal at the crease, combined with Bethell's quick exit minutes earlier, saw England's strong opening partnership dismantled within a span of three balls.

Axar Patel's unbeaten 57 alongside his four wickets in the first innings, paired with Washington Sundar's 52 not out, saw India complete a comfortable chase. The Men in Blue will now chase a series lead in the second ODI at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Thursday, July 16, while the English side will be hoping to draw levels with a win in the all-important fixture.