CHENNAI: As T Natarajan kept returning impressive figures during the IPL, selectors and the India team management knew they had a new talent at their disposal.
A left-arm pacer was on the wish-list for long and it is what bowling coach Bharathi Arun had said would make this attack a complete one. They had a golden goose in Jasprit Bumrah to take care of death bowling, but workload was something they had to manage. Safe to say, India wanted Natarajan as badly as Natarajan wanted this opportunity.
India's Plan A was not to rush with Natarajan. Even though his yorkers were troubling reputed batsmen at IPL, he needed to be fine-tuned. This is why the initial plan was to take him to Australia as a reserve and make the transition smooth, as he doesn't have that many domestic matches under his belt. This is what Arun has previously done with other bowlers. Remember how Bumrah's transition from white ball to red ball happened?
The management thought spending time in the nets would help Natarajan widen his repertoire, for being one-dimensional could be costly at the international stage. However, destiny has this habit of smiling on Natarajan. Varun Chakravarthy's injury brought him in the squad and by the time the limited-over series ended on Tuesday, Natarajan was the toast of the nation.
One could see the glee on captain Virat Kohli's face when he mentioned, “A left-armer is an asset and if he keeps bowling this way consistently, it will be great for us heading into the World Cup next year.”
Though developments of the past few weeks have been overwhelming, Natarajan has looked composed. Asked about it on TV, he responded in a manner only he can.
“Lots of people are asking.. but I've been the same since childhood. I can't fake aggression. If I take a wicket, I just smile and go. To get this opportunity in Australia is extraordinary. I don't have words.”
With India choosing to rest Bumrah and Mohammed Shami for the T20s, they thought handing Natarajan an ODI debut would ease his nerves. By the time the T20s began, Natarajan was comfortable with players who he wasn't even dreaming of playing with two months back.
Though language barriers exist, he has enough men in the dressing room to make him feel comfortable in his native Tamil. Story goes, he didn't understand a message from Kohli during the ODI, and someone from the dug-out came to his rescue.
In the T20 series which India won 2-1, Natarajan showed he isn't just about yorkers. He has added a surprise bouncer and brought the ball back into the right-hander.
“I know my strength and I backed myself. I trusted myself to land those yorkers. Before bowling, I ask the wicketkeeper and captain whether the pitch is slow or how it is behaving and adjust accordingly. I have full confidence in delivering yorkers and death bowling. I was just looking to execute them cleanly and make optimum use of the opportunity."
The manner he has stepped up in the absence of Bumrah and Shami and delivered under pressure would give the team confidence to keep him in their plans.
“Special mention for Natarajan because he stood out and delivered under pressure. It is outstanding because he is playing his first few games at international level. He looks composed and is a humble and hardworking guy. He is sure of what he is doing,” Kohli said.