Dubai: Seventeen-year-old all-rounder Arjun Nair, who was in Dubai in January to play in the tri-series representing Australia Under-19 team, top scored against Pakistan in the three-day match at Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns, Queensland yesterday.
Nair, whose roots are from Kerala, the southern state of India, representing Cricket Australia XI in the three-day match played a fighting knock of 42 runs, while his team got bowled out for 109 runs in the second innings. Pakistan won the match by 201 runs. This was Pakistan’s tour match before their first Test against Australia at Brisbane.
Pakistan team led by Misbah Ul Haq could muster only 208 runs in the first innings. Though the chief wrecker was Cricket Australia’s medium pacer Cameron Valente with four wickets for 36 runs, Nair bowled his right arm off breaks to provide good support to Valente. He gave away just 36 runs from his 15 overs and clean bowled Mohammad Nawaz too.
Cricket Australia was bowled out for 114 in the first innings and Pakistan scored 216 for 6 in the second innings. Chasing a target of 311, Cricket Australia were shot out for 106 with Nawaz taking three wickets and Mohammad Amir and Rahat Ali chipping in with two wickets each. Nair’s 42 came off 60 balls with four boundaries.
Speaking to Gulf News from Australia, Nair’s father Jayanand Nair, who was a Kerala hockey player, said: “It’s indeed nice to find him score runs against a top team like Pakistan though his performance with the ball was average. The pink ball with which the match was played did not give him much turn.”
Nair, who was born in Canberra after his parents migrated from Kerala to Australia, speaking about his knock, said: “I played my normal game. I am happy I also bowled well in the first innings.”
Being one of the most promising spinners in Australia, Nair who turned 18 this April, may soon represent Australian senior team. Two months ago, while playing against South Africa for Cricket Australia, he even took the wicket of South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis. Nair plays for New South Wales and recently revealed that he has learnt many tricks closely watching India’s Ravichandran Ashwin and West Indies Sunil Narine closely on YouTube.
Nair, who told Gulf News in January this year that his aim is to play for Australia in all three formats, commenting after the match against Pakistan, said: “It is a big confidence booster. I am happy I gave a positive end to the match. This match is a good experience. I am happy I expressed myself well today I am happy to get an opportunity to play at a high level.”
