T Natarajan Makes India Debut In The 3rd ODI Against Australia
T Natarajan
Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody praised t Natarajan, the pacer who debuted in 3rd ODI versus Australia.
The left-arm pacer had an impressive season for SunRisers Hyderabad in the recently concluded Indian Premier League in UAE. It paved the way for his international debut for India in the 3rd ODI in Canberra.
T Natarajan. Image Credit: BCCI/IPL.
T Natarajan Is A Defensive Bowler Who Builds Pressure: Tom Moody
In the 5th over of the match, T Natarajan got the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne, as he cleaned bowled him up for 7.
Tom Moody, who was the SRH coach spoke in a video on ESPNCricinfo, said that he has the requisite skills to get breakthrough wickets when India are leaking runs at one end. T Natarajan picked 16 wickets in as many games in IPL 2020 averaging 31.5 which was his only second season after 2017 where he picked 2 wickets in 6 games.
"The biggest challenge is coming to terms with the nerves of the big stage of international cricket. He has come from the backwaters of Chennai where he has learnt his craft. As we all know, it's a terrific story," Moody said.
Tom Moody. Photo Credit: IPL/BCCI.
"I was fortunate enough to be a part of the beginning of that story when we recruited him at Sunrisers 2-3 years ago, on the back of the T20 tournament. I like what he has got to offer. I call Natarajan a defensive bowler. What he does is he builds pressure and when you are in the eye of the storm, he's got the skills to shut the opponent down with his slower balls or yorkers, as he angles from the left-arm over."
T Natarajan has impressed everyone with his skill of bowling constant yorkers. T Natarajan was selected in T20I squad initially after KKR spinner Varun Chakravarthy was ruled out with shoulder injury. He was later added as a backup in ODI squad after pacer Navdeep Saini had complained of back spasms.
T Natarajan May Have Been Used In Sydney Too Where His Cutters Could Have Been Effective: Tom Moody
Indian spinners and pacers had a tough time to pick early wickets in the first two ODIs at Sydney. Batting first in both occasions, Australia posed daunting totals for India to chase after Steve Smith pocketed the series with two consecutive tons. Indian bowlers apart from Mohammed Shami who took 4 scalps, the rest were taken to the cleaners. Navdeep Saini and Yuzvendra Chahal were most expensive as they conceded 313 runs in 2 games together.
"India will welcome that when the runs are starting to leak, they have a good option and natural strong-defensive bowler. They could have used him in Syndey as well, his cutters could have been effective on Syndey surface," he added.
Meanwhile, India posted 302/5 in 50 overs against Australia after a 150-run unbroken partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya. They came when India were 152/5 in 32nd over and added an unbeaten partnership of 150 runs for the 6th wicket. India scored more than 100 runs in last 10 overs. This innings was the second time Hardik Pandya scored in the 90s in ODI series.
India vs Australia 2020/21
Tom Moody