While the 29-year-old left-arm pacer T Natarajan highly impressed the cricket fans in his initial international outings, the veteran Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh showered him with praises.
The Indian national cricket team is currently busy in Australia tour. T Natarajan was originally selected in the additional bowlers’ squad for this tour. But later, he was added in both the limited-overs squads of this tour. While he made his international debut during the dead-rubber Canberra ODI, he played an important role for India’s 13-run victory as he managed to achieve the bowling figures of 10-1-70-2.
Then he made T20I debut during the opening game of the three-match T20I series of this tour. Natarajan finished that T20I series as the leading wicket-taker by picking up 6 wickets in three matches and played an important role for India’s 2-1 series victory. While the Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya officially won the Player of the Series award at the end of that T20I series for his incredible batting performance, the all-rounder gave away that award to the new Indian left-arm pacer.
Harbhajan Singh is also impressed on Natarajan. The veteran off-spinner is very happy with his early performances in his international career.
Harbhajan told India Today, “Yes, he was phenomenal. Credit to him, going out there as a replacement and showing what he is made of. And the kind of performances he has put. You know he showed that he has got a lot of potentials and moving forward he is gonna be one key member of the Indian team. I am very happy and delighted to see him perform the way he has performed.”
In the IPL 2020, serving for SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), T Natarajan highly impressed the cricket fans as he scalped 16 wickets in 16 matches. He finished that tournament as the 10th most wicket-taker. Those performances hugely helped him to earn the recent national team call-up.
I am sure T Natarajan is gonna become better: Harbhajan Singh
While Harbhajan Singh is confident about his future progress, he feels that the left-arm pacer should stay with the team during the Test series in Australia tour. While Natarajan is currently not a member of the Test squad in this tour, Harbhajan believes that the Indian batsmen can get useful preparation by using him in the net practice ahead of the upcoming much-awaited Test series.
Harbhajan added, “I am sure he is gonna become better. The more he is gonna play, the more he is gonna get better. I wish him all the luck. I wish you know if he can stay back for the Test matches as well just to learn while you are being around the Test team. Rather than sending him back, let him be with the team and bowl at the nets. Because they have got Mitchell Starc and other bowlers who are left-arm seamers.”
The four-match Test series between the hosts Australia and the visitors India will run between 17th December 2020 and 19th January 2021.