Updated: Jan 2, 2021 7:02:24 pm
T Natarajan, left arm seamer from Tamil Nadu has been included on the Indian team for the remaining two events in Australia as a replacement for the injured Umesh Yadav. Being a bowler with your left arm you will add variety to the Indian rhythm attack. But team management will have to respond to find out if he’s ready for test cricket in Australia, where he might have to bowl all day. Along with Natarajan, India has Navdeep Saini and Shardul Thakur to choose from for the third position of seamer.
IND vs AUS: Is Natarajan favorite to play Third Test?
Natarajan’s is a story from poverty to wealth, making him a sentimental favorite. It has been a fairy tale climb for the 29-year-old from Chinnappampatti, a town 36 kilometers from Salem in Tamil Nadu. He faced difficulties as a child and adolescent and without his exceptional cricket skills he could have ended up a weaver like his father. Natarajan went to Australia as a net pitcher and could return home as an international in all three formats. However, by choosing the XI for the third test, the leadership of the Indian team will keep the sentiment at arm’s length.
What does Natarajan bring to the table?
As Tamil Nadu hitter Baba Aparajith, who captained Natarajan in a Ranji Trophy game against Railways last season, told The Indian Express, the medium pace could throw long stretches. “He can go back and play at the same pace.” Moreover, over the past few seasons, Tamil Nadu played most of its Ranji Trophy matches, especially home matches, at lathes where the spinners obviously did most of the bowling.
Natarajan is quite accurate, which has contributed to his success with the cue ball. If you can bring that to red ball cricket it might be a good option to do the retention work on one end. Additionally, as a left arm closer rolling over the wicket, Natarajan can create footprints, without running into the danger area, off the right-hander stump, a potential target point for Ravichandran Ashwin. Traditionally, the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) assists the spinners as the match progresses. Natarajan has been working with Indian team bowling coach Bharat Arun for over a month and a half and, as Tamil Nadu Ranji team coach Diwakar Vasu said: “He is a very good player and a fast learner.”
What could be the possible shortcomings?
The third round will be played in Sydney and traditionally the SCG throw helps bowlers swing on the first morning before it ends. Natarajan made a smooth progression from the Indian Premier League (IPL) to international white ball cricket, arriving as a replacement for an injury during India’s ongoing tour of Australia. He played the third ODI and although he accounted for 70 runs for his two wickets, he pitched well under pressure towards the end. In three Q20I, he topped the Indian bowling chart with six wickets at an economy rate of less than seven runs above.
Test cricket, however, demands a bowler’s swing of pace. In the shorter formats, Natarajan has thrived on punctual yorkers and slower, more deceptive deliveries. The top of the stump becomes the target of rapids in long form cricket and Natarajan will have to adjust his line and length accordingly. Natarajan will have the bowler’s natural angle with his left arm and also, as Vasu mentioned, he can return the ball to the right. But Natarajan is not a natural swing pitcher, which can negatively affect his power in test cricket. At his pace, around 130 km / h, the goalkeeper is also not an option to take terrain. Batsmen put a high price on their wickets in test cricket and a medium pace needs to move beyond yorkers, slower deliveries and the cliché that a left-arm lock will add variety.
“Trying cricket is not easy. Not many of these slower balls and yorkers are going to be effective when it comes to test cricket. And I don’t think that at their pace (around 130 km / h), gorillas can be an option (to take land), ”Vasu told this newspaper.
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Can Natarajan be used as a defensive option?
At first glance, Natarajan’s bowling alley is cut out for waiting work in red ball cricket. Aparajith said he used it as a strike pitcher when he was captain, but test cricket is the highest level that allows very little room for error. “Someone who is making his debut in Test, who is not fast (fast) and who does not swing the ball (a lot); can’t be expected to be the strike pitcher. There are other strike pitchers. He can be used as a bowler who comes in and bowls, and takes a couple of wickets, ”Vasu observed. Also, Natarajan doesn’t have enough top-notch cricket experience to turn to if things start to go against him. In 20 first-class games so far, he has taken 64 wickets with an average of 27.
Therefore, the Indian team management will have to decide if they want the third team shutdown to be a restrictive option to basically do the containment work. The Indian rhythm attack has a strike bowler at Jasprit Bumrah, while Mohammed Siraj returned with a five-wicket course in his test debut in Melbourne. Siraj, however, is still learning the ropes when it comes to test cricket and needs a third rhythm that can complement it, mixing caution with aggression. Ravindra Jadeja’s left arm spin already offers the team an excellent restrictive option.
What about Saini getting the go-ahead?
Saini offers an exit and exit attack option. He can go over 90 mph and when he’s on pace, the 28-year-old can be quite difficult for any hitter due to his pace and ability to extract rebounds. Saini is a deck hitting bowler, who can slice the ball right-handed out of the seam, as well as make the odd delivery straighten a bit. But he can be inconsistent with his line and length, especially when hitters are in command. Restrictive bowling to keep hitters under pressure, especially on unresponsive pitches, is a weak area in Saini’s bowling.
Also, this is his first Australian tour and it’s not easy for a newcomer to hit the right length in the Austrian fields right away. Saini fought in both ODIs that he played.
Does Thakur offer a complete option?
A stalwart of national cricket with 62 first-class matches and 206 wickets, the 29-year-old can swing the ball both ways at a decent pace (around 135 km / h). You can also reverse the old ball. Thakur offers a versatile option in terms of attack and defense. And he has prior experience playing at this level, having made his Test debut against the West Indies in 2018.
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