Natarajan
T Natarajan's dream run continued as he registered a unique feat by making his Test debut for India in the ongoing Brisbane Test. The 29-year-old pacer became the first Indian player to make his debut in all three formats of the game on the same tour.
Natarajan had an impressive outing at The Gabba, finishing with figures of 3/78 in the first innings. After replacing Varun Chakravarthy in India's T20I squad, Natarajan hasn't looked back. The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer would have never thought in his wildest of dreams that he'll be representing India in all three formats, within a span of just 44 days.
Natarajan was added to the ODI squad as a back up for Navdeep Saini. He first made his debut in the third ODI and plucked two wickets before playing all three games in the subsequent T20I series. He also ended up taking six wickets, gaining praise from many former cricketers. As fate would have it, he added to India’s Test squad as a replacement for the injured Umesh Yadav.
Natarajan's exemplary rise received praise from all corners and many former players including Ajay Jadeja lauded the pacer's journey.
"You feel very happy for him because of the sort of journey he has had. His life's direction has changed in the last 44 days. He was not selected in the T20 format also and came in as a replacement for the injured Chakravarthy.
He bowled 20 overs on the first day, so he has shown that he has the stamina. Out of the 63 runs he conceded, 15-odd runs came in the last couple of overs. So, he was economical and because of that he got two wickets as well," Jadeja said on Sony Sports Network.
"You might dream to take 5 wickets on your first day, but if you see realistically it was a very good day for any young player because forget the bowling, you have to first overcome the nerves. He has not even got prepared by playing under-19 or A tours, he has directly played Test cricket from the short format after 40 days. So, I am most impressed by the composure he showed in his bowling," Jadeja added.
