IND vs AUS | T Natarajan is looking like a bright prospect for the Indian team, insists Karsan Ghavri

12/04/2020

Former India pacer Karsan Ghavri has suggested that T Natarajan is an extremely talented pacer and if things go well, he can be a bright prospect for the Indian team in the future. Ghavri has also hailed the TN pacer’s ability to land yorkers with insane regularity which he showed during the IPL.

A career that touched two ends of the spectrum, T Natarajan’s story is an inspiring tale of perseverance and audacity that culminated with him receiving his India call-up in Canberra on Wednesday. He bowled with his heart out, just as he did during the Indian Premier League, to help India win the third ODI but much like everything else, there is a bigger picture. Karsan Ghavri, one of the finest pace bowling coaches in the country who had his own sweet time as a pacer during his heyday, was extremely impressed by the same.

"Natarajan is looking like a bright prospect for the Indian team. He is very talented. If he keeps on bowling well and keeps up his fitness levels, he can serve Indian cricket for a long time. He is a bright prospect for the Indian team. He has the ability to generate a good amount of pace. He has got some variations. The best part is that he has the ability to bowl yorkers, especially in the death overs. He has all the qualities a left-arm pacer needs," Ghavri told Timesofindia.com.

"I know he (Natarajan) gave away a lot of runs but he has taken wickets too. He bowled yorkers in the death. That controlled the flow of runs. He looked good to me in his debut match. I am sure he will go a long way," Ghavri further said.

Just like Jasprit Bumrah, whose accent to the Indian team was on the back of his stint with Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, Natarajan flew to the public consciousness with a spectacular IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Ghavri believes that now that the rise is complete, Natarajan will expand his wings under Virat Kohli just like Zaheer Khan improved under Sourav Ganguly.

"The way Zaheer did under Ganguly's captaincy, Natarajan can do well under Kohli's captaincy. Kohli is a good leader and I am sure he will motivate this guy (Natarajan) and make him learn. As he progresses in his career and if plays with consistent performance, he is going to serve the Indian team for a long time. He is a sparkling prospect for India," Ghavri, who played 39 Tests and 19 ODIs for India between 1975 and 1981, said.

Natarajan is expected to make his T20I debut in Canberra today.