‘Natarajan’s work ethics is secret to his success’
Laxman says the Tamil Nadu speedster is tough mentally
Hyderabad: Thangarasu Natarajan, the new `yorker’ sensation, is riding high with his success in this year’s IPL in the UAE and in the recently concluded one-day internationals and T20 series in Australia. It came as no surprise to VVS Laxman, the mentor of Sunrisers Hyderabad.
With stunning show at Canberra and Sydney, the 29-year-old Natarajan has stolen hearts and for Laxman the left-arm speedster’s development has been phenomenal. “He worked very hard for his success. In the first two years in SRH, he did not play many matches but he continued to work hard. His work ethics is amazing and the secret of his success. He exudes a lot of confidence and that has developed him into a wicket-taking bowler. He is tough mentally and therefore he is able to bowl the tough overs, particularly the death overs. He is simple, never shows his emotions and holds his nerve in crucial stages of the game. That is the reason I’m confident he will taste more success. This has given an opportunity to play in next year’s T20 World Cup next year in India,’’ said Laxman while talking to Telangana Today.
Laxman pointed out that he won the confidence of captain Virat Kohli is a strong indication that Natarajan has made his place in the Indian team. “In his first international match, he was bowling the tough overs and he earned the respect of his captain. Bowling in death, is a difficult art and Natarajan, with more confidence and experience, can get better.’’
This year in IPL, in the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Natarajan bowled the important overs, the last overs, one in powerplay and mostly in the death. “It is great that he continued with that good work and performed exceedingly well in the ODI and T20 series in Australia. We were quietly confidently of his success in Australia.’’
VVS Laxman
This year, he got a chance because of injuries to Bhuvneshwar and Khaleel Ahmed. “We had Khaleel who was also left armer but he had an injury and could not play in the SRH preparatory camp. Natarajan showed very good form in the practice matches camp. He executed the yorkers brilliantly. We felt that he was ready to be drafted in the first XI. He impressed from the first match itself,’’ added Laxman.
Laxman revealed that somehow the Tamil Nadu speedster managed to get his work done even though the communication was a problem with captain David Warner. “That is the beauty of IPL. The foreign players don’t understand the local language and Nattu is someone who is not fluent in English. He was able to communicate with Warner with the help of players like Vijay Shankar or Manish Pandey. But whenever he wanted a field, he could get it done with Warner.’’
The former Hyderabad star batsman said that IPL gives opportunities for players from smaller places. “Players like Natarajan, who hails from Chinappampatti, are able to successfully chase their dreams, thanks to IPL. He has become an inspiration to young players despite various obstacles and hardship. This player has climbed to the top with sheer hard work and the passion for the game.”
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