Team India recently had a remarkable tour of Australia where they fought against all the odds to stand tall on the required occasions. The 2-1 victory in the Test series was even more special as the game-changers turned out to be the players who had least international experience. And one such name among them was T. Natarajan.
The 29-year-old left arm-pacer from Tamil Nadu made his international debut across all three formats during the same tour. After his debuts in the ODI and T20I series, Natarajan made his Test debut in the series decider against the Aussies at the Gabba.
India went on to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in a dramatic fashion, winning the fourth and final Test in Brisbane by 3 wickets. Natarajan received widespread praise from fans and experts of the game for his performance.
Sharing his opinion on Natarajan, the Australian superstar David Warner said, “First thing I’d like to say is Vazhthukal (greetings) Nattu, you’re an absolute legend. I’ve got so much time for you, you’re a great person on and off the field and I love having you in our team. Cheers!”
Natarajan and his wife became parents of a baby girl towards the business end of IPL 2020 in UAE, however, instead of returning back to India, the SRH seamer decided to stay back with the Indian contingent for Australia tour. Speaking about the same, Warner lauded Nattu for his grit and dedication.
“What a talent he is, we’ve just seen a guy who played unbelievably well in the IPL 2020, going on tour with the Indian team as a net bowler while sacrificing being there for the birth of his first child and then making his debut in all forms… what a magnificent achievement.
“The way we used him – outside the powerplay, maybe an over in the powerplay and bowling alongside Rashid Khan in partnership worked very well. I think he bowled 80 yorkers in the tournament which is an exceptional display of death bowling whenever he did come on. I’m extremely excited to see what he brings to the table this year,” Warner added on the YouTube channel of ‘Sports Today’.
