T Natarajan joins Zaheer Khan in elite group of Indian left-arm fast bowlers
T Natarajan became the second left-arm Indian pacer after Zaheer Khan to take at least two wickets on his international debut in every format. Natarajan joined Khan in this elite list by dismissing Matthew Wade and Marnus Labuschagne in the Brisbane Test match.
T Natarajan's fairytale rise has been one of the best cricketing stories in recent memory. The BCCI had initially named him as a net bowler for the Australian tour. However, because of multiple injuries in the Indian camp, Natarajan made his debut in all formats Down Under.
The left-arm fast bowler picked up two wickets on his ODI debut at the Manuka Oval. Next, T Natarajan dismissed three Aussie batsmen on his T20I debut at the same venue. Earlier today, he sent Matthew Wade and Marnus Labuschagne back to the pavilion to achieve the unique record of scalping a minimum of two wickets each on his debut in all three formats.
Veteran left-arm pacers like Ashish Nehra and RP Singh have represented the Indian cricket team in all three formats. However, only Natarajan could match Zaheer Khan's performance in his debut matches.
Zaheer Khan had made his Test debut against Bangladesh in November 2000. The 2011 World Cup winner took three wickets in that game, while he scalped three wickets on his ODI debut versus Kenya. Besides, Khan was a part of the Indian playing XI in the nation's first T20I match against South Africa. He sent Graeme Smith and Loots Bosman back to the dressing room to help India gain the upper hand.
Can T Natarajan inspire Team India to a historic win in Brisbane?
T Natarajan played a vital role in Team India's T20I series win against Australia. Hardik Pandya handed him the Man of the Series award for his incredible performances.
However, the odds are stacked against the Indian cricket team in the ongoing Brisbane Test. The visitors are not at full strength and need to avoid losing this Test to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It will be interesting to see if Natarajan could lead the Indian pace attack and guide the team to its first Test win at The Gabba.