India's left-arm paceman Ashish Nehra, in the centre of a controversy after being disqualified for running onto the pitch on the third day of the first cricket Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Saturday, was disappointed at the turn of events but vowed to come back stronger from the experience. "I bowled the way I had in the first innings. I am disappointed," said the paceman from Delhi.

Nehra was first given two official warnings by Zimbabwean umpire Russell Tiffin and several unofficial warnings by Australian umpire Daryl Harper. When he changed ends, he was first warned and then stopped from bowling by umpire Harper who gave him his cap and sweater after he had bowled just four balls and told him he could no longer bowl in the innings.

Zimbabwe were then reading 273 for seven and Nehra was in his 27th over. Team manager Chetan Chauhan said he was very disappointed at the turn of events. "He was our main bowler and bowled very well in this game. But we respect the umpire's decision and though he would not be able to bowl again in this match, we will try to rectify the mistake in the next three-four days."

Nehra bowled 11 overs in the first innings and picked up three wickets for 24 runs and took two more conceding 77 runs in the second before he was stopped while bowling his 27th over.

Dave Houghton, former Zimbabwean captain and one of the greats in this land, said if the idea was to create a rough for Harbhajan Singh, the bowling action of Nehra was unsuited for it. "I can understand a team playing two left-arm pacemen to create rough for the spinners. But Nehra was coming too close to the wicket. His footmarks on the wicket were not going to help an offspinner."

Houghton didn't remember any such instance in Test cricket. "I remember a bowler from Gloucestershire being taken off the attack three times in a county season though," he said.

Heath Streak, captain of the Zimbabwe team, said he too didn't remember such a thing happen in his career. "I don't remember it and it is unfortunate for a young fast bowler." Streak, a fast bowler himself, had a piece of advice for Nehra. "The only thing he needs to do is to go a little wider," he said.

Zaheer Khan was also warned twice for doing so but then he corrected himself and was going wide of the crease.

© PTI