Ashish Nehra has proved age is just a number: Sunil Gavaskar

New Delhi: Veteran India bowler Ashish Nehra's skills were once again on display, when the speedster emerged as wrecker-in-chief in the Asia Cup opener against hosts Bangladesh. (Asia Cup 2016: Full Coverage)

While defending a tricky total of 166, Nehra gave India their first breakthrough by removing Mohammad Mithun in the third over and later returned to take two more wickets to finish with figures of three for 23 in his four overs.

Since making his comeback into the national team after a gap of almost five years, Nehra has proved the selectors right.

And in the first match of the Asia Cup, Nehra, 37, made Bangladeshi batsmen dance to his tunes as India won the match comfortably by 45 runs to pocket two crucial points.

At one stage the left-arm pacer was even on the brink of a hat-trick when he dismissed Mahmudullah and Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza of consecutive deliveries but Taskin Ahmed thwarted him.

After the match, former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar hailed the ageing bowler for his outstanding performance by saying he has proved 'age is just a number'.

"Ashish Nehra has proved age is just a number. He is mixing his deliveries well and bowling craftily. He has done really well for India so far," Gavaskar told NDTV.