CHENNAI : Recovering from injury a few months ago, T Natarajan had food for thought. He had to become stronger, to sustain the rigours of fast bowling. And he had to add variety to his attack. Expert advice and practice would do for the second. What about the first?
‘Eat what you get’ became his mantra and the fowl in Salem started appearing more regularly on his plate. Back from the elbow injury fitter, wilier and stronger, he rejuvenated Tamil Nadu’s Ranji campaign with a Man-of-the-Match performance against Kerala in his third outing this season.
“I don’t have restrictions on diet and am eating healthy. Apart from vegetables, I started consuming a lot of meat. Especially the naatu kozhi (country chicken) we get in Salem. It’s rich in quality. I was very thin when I started out. I have realised that one needs more energy to play a long season,” said the left-armer, who has taken 12 wickets so far.
The 27-year-old, who made Ranji debut in 2015, also felt he could not remain one-dimensional. Possessing the natural angle and movement that takes the ball away from right-handers, he wanted in-swinger in his arsenal. This realisation happened during his stint with SunRisers Hyderabad last IPL, when he worked with Muttiah Muralitharan. Although he did not get a game, Natarajan feels IPL helped him.
That he has worked extensively on this was evident against Bengal and Kerala in Chennai. The in-swinger was more effective against the right-handers when he came around the wicket. Having tried those in four Vijay Hazare games he played before getting injured, he says it was not that effective with white balls.
“I started working after IPL and it has come good so far. Muralitharan sir said I get out-swingers naturally and to be a better bowler, I should bowl in-swingers too. I discussed with Bala anna (TN bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji) and he gave tips. We worked on my wrist position. Since I worked on out-swingers also in pre-season, I was confident going into Ranji matches.”With two of the next three matches in Mohali and Dharamsala, where pacers expect assistance, Natarajan’s focus is on fitness. Once the season is over, he will be in Salem for more of the naatu kozhi.