Regret turning down an offer to make a Test comeback, says Nehra

VETERAN INDIAN PACER ASHISH NEHRA, made a dream comeback to the Indian team, early this year after battling injuries, competition and inconsistent form. The pacer has bagged 18 wickets in 15 matches since his return to T20I. 

Nehra had a successful stint in the recently held T20 World Cup. However on Monday, the 36-year-old pacer said he regretted having turned down MS Dhoni's and former Indian coach Gary Kirsten's offer to make a comeback to the Test side in 2009. As quoted by cricbuzz, Nehra said,

"When I look back, I feel I should have played more than 17 Test matches. In 2009, Dhoni and the then coach Gary Kirsten had asked me if I would like to make a Test comeback. I was around 30-31 then and should have responded positively but I was not very sure. When I look back, only two years back, at the age of 35, I had played six four-day matches in six weeks."

The left arm pacer kept mum when questioned about his exclusion from the squad following the World Cup 2011 victory. Nehra did not feature in the final against Sri Lanka after sustaining an injury in the semi-final match against Pakistan. Speaking about his injuries, Nehra added,

"I sustained four fractures in my hand while fielding during the semifinal match against Pakistan. But one needs to understand that being injured does not mean you are unfit. Injury is getting hit, sustaining fractures but fitness is a different aspect. In these four years, I may not have played international cricket but I was playing domestic cricket during that phase."