Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi Dar finished India’s five-match One-Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand with five wickets from four appearances, delivering a series of promising performances in his maiden overseas campaign at the international level.
The right-arm pacer claimed five wickets in 31 overs, conceding 160 runs at an average of 32.00 and an economy rate of 5.16. His best figures in the series were 2 for 31, while his strike rate stood at 37.20.
Nabi began his campaign in the opening ODI at Auckland on November 4, returning figures of 0 for 33 in six overs.
He registered his first breakthroughs in the second ODI at Wellington on November 7, dismissing Will Young and Tim Seifert to finish with figures of 2 for 31 in seven overs.
After the third ODI at Hamilton was abandoned without a ball being bowled, Nabi returned in the fourth match at Mount Maunganui on November 13, claiming two more wickets for 59 runs in eight overs. His victims included Dean Foxcroft and Kristian Clarke.
In Sunday’s series-deciding fifth ODI at Bay Oval, Nabi bowled his full quota of 10 overs, conceding 37 runs at an economy rate of 3.70. He also claimed a wicket and bowled a maiden over, dismissing Michael Bracewell.
India won the fifth ODI by 22 runs to seal the series 3-1. Defending a target of 210, the visitors bowled out New Zealand for 187, with Arshdeep Singh taking three wickets, while Mohammed Siraj and Axar Patel claimed two each.
Nabi’s five-wicket tally and successive two-wicket performances in the second and fourth matches marked an encouraging outing for the Jammu and Kashmir pacer against international opposition.
