SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi has emphasised the importance of relying on skills and maintaining bowling discipline as he prepares for the fourth ODI against New Zealand, saying he will stick to the methods that brought him success in domestic cricket.
“Having pace is good but I back my skills. I will do what I have been doing and what has brought me here. I will just do what I did in domestic cricket, and that will help me here too,” Nabi said during a press conference ahead of Friday’s match.
Playing his first series in New Zealand, Nabi said adapting to local conditions would require greater reliance on seam bowling, particularly the use of scrambled seam, rather than depending solely on swing.
“It is my first time in New Zealand. You need to rely more on seam here. Use scrambled seam because swing can be dealt with,” he said.
The pacer also stressed the need for discipline on batting-friendly surfaces, where bowlers can concede runs if they fail to execute their plans.
“You need to bowl well no matter how good or flat the pitches are. When wickets are good, you need to bowl with discipline because you can go for runs,” he said.
Nabi said he had been discussing plans for bowling on drop-in pitches with fellow Indian pacers Arshdeep Singh and Anshul Kamboj.
India currently lead the five-match series 2-0. Nabi returned figures of 0/33 in the opening ODI, which India won by five wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. He responded in the second match by dismissing New Zealand openers Will Young and Tim Seifert, helping India secure a four-run victory, also under the DLS method.
The third ODI in Hamilton was abandoned due to rain. The fourth match is scheduled to be played at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Friday.
Nabi earned his place in the Indian team on the back of impressive performances in domestic cricket. He claimed 104 wickets across the 2024-25 and 2025-26 Ranji Trophy seasons, including 60 wickets in 17 innings at an average of 12.65 during the 2025-26 season.
His performances played a crucial role in Jammu and Kashmir winning their maiden Ranji Trophy title, while he was also named Player of the Tournament.
The pacer said he had initially expected an opportunity in red-ball cricket before making his way into the white-ball side, but believed the current international experience would also benefit him in the longer format.
“I was expecting a red-ball call-up before white-ball cricket, but this experience will also be very helpful. And then also staying with the Test team,” he said.
Expressing his happiness at representing India, Nabi said playing for the country was a significant achievement.
“Very happy to play for India. Khelna India ke liye bahut badi baat hai. Mera bhi wohi tha,” he said.
He also urged aspiring cricketers to make the best use of available facilities and opportunities, stressing that consistent effort could help them achieve their goals.
“Whenever people say about facilities, I always say do your best and things will fall in place,” he said.
