CHENNAI: T Natarajan's remarkable IPL showing for Sunrisers Hyderabad first helped him bag a ticket to Australia with the Men in Blue as a net bowler. Then, Varun Chakravarthy's shoulder injury helped Natarajan go even further - giving him an opportunity to be part of India's T20 team. This is the 29-year-old's maiden call-up to the national side.
Hailing from a village near Salem and making it to the Indian team is a remarkable achievement and should inspire cricketers in the districts of Tamil Nadu. The state senior team's chief coach D Vasu is happy for the left-armer.
"Natarajan was absolutely spot on in the IPL. He bowled with a lot of confidence and maturity. All of us are happy that he has made the grade," said Vasu.
A couple of years ago, his stellar performance in the Tamil Nadu Premier League earned Natarajan a place in the King's XI Punjab. After that he moved to Hyderabad.
His ability to extract bounce and bowl yorkers earned Natarajan praise from captain David Warner. He finished with 16 wickets, including that of AB de Villiers, in the eliminator clash with a trademark yorker.
Asked about areas the 29-year-old has to improve in to stay effective, Vasu said, "He needs to work on bowling a consistent line and needs control over swing. Fitness and fielding is everything in modern cricket. He needs to be aware of it and work towards it to be successful at the international level."
International cricket is different and Australia in Australia is always a tough proposition. Does Natarajan have it in him to excel at that level? "He can, provided he maintains his fitness and confidence. Moreover, India's bowling coach B Arun's presence and inputs will help him grasp the finer points of bowling at the highest level," said Vasu.
The TN coach believes Natarajan is a special talent, who showed in the IPL that he can bowl successfully to different players in different situations. "He is a very hard-working cricketer. His yorkers are special and as a left-armer, he has an advantage with his angles. The angles he bowls gets him good purchase," observed Vasu.
The former NCA coach is sad that spinner Varun could not make the trip to Australia. "It is unfortunate that his injury has recurred. If surgery is the only solution, then he should go ahead with it," he said.