Published 17:37 IST, November 15th 2020
Natarajan hits the nets post India call-up, fans eager to see 'Yorker machine' in action
Coming off a sensational IPL campaign, Hyderabad speedster T Natarajan hit the nets in Sydney on Sunday morning as he earned is maiden Team India call-up
Coming off a sensational IPL campaign, Hyderabad speedster T Natarajan hit the nets in Sydney on Sunday morning as he earned his maiden Team India call-up. The 29-year-old speed gun, known for his toe-crushing yorkers and death bowling skills during the IPL 2020 which earned him massive recognition, was seen bowling in the nets in a video shared by the BCCI. Initially, Natarajan had been picked up as an additional bowler for the Australia tour but was included in the T20 squad later as Varun Chakravarthy was ruled out due to injury.
As BCCI shared the video of Natarajan bowling in the nets, fans reacted ecstatically as they eagerly await to see the speedster in Indian colours. Netizens also expressed eagerness to see Natarajan bowl along with Team India's another yorker machine - Jasprit Bumrah. Here's how netizens reacted:
Natarajan had a terrific IPL season with Hyderabad in the UAE. The 30-year-old pacer picked up 16 wickets at an economy of 8.02 and had the highest number of yorkers bowled in the tournament. However, Hyderabad could not reach the finale and were knocked out in the Eliminator 1.
The members of the Indian squad had their first outdoor session on Saturday which was followed by a gym session. Taking to the micro-blogging site, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had posted a few images where the likes of star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, stylish Kerala batsman Sanju Samson, pacer Umesh Yadav, and wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, young speedster Mohammad Siraj, etc. making the most of the team's first outdoor session where they can be seen running around supposedly at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
India tour of Australia
India will kick off their tour to Australia with a three-match ODI series starting on Friday, 27 November, followed by as many T20Is and four Tests. The T20Is will be played in Canberra (4 December) and Sydney (6, 8 December).
The first Test will be a day/night affair, from 17-21 December at the Adelaide Oval. The Melbourne Cricket Ground (26-30 December) will host the Boxing Day Test, before the action moves to the Sydney Cricket Ground (7-11 January) and the Gabba (15-19 January). With India currently on top of the World Test Championship table and Australia in second, the series is expected to be a thriller, as it will also be a part of the ICC World Test Championship.
Updated 17:37 IST, November 15th 2020