T Natarajan Should Stay Back For Test Series To Help Indian Batsmen In Nets: Harbhajan Singh

Veteran Indian off-spinner, Harbhajan Singh feels that T Natarajan should be allowed to stay back with the Indian team during the Test matches and hone his skills further.

Natarajan has scaled an inspiring route from  Salem in Tamil Nadu to the leading wicket-taker in the T20I series in Australia. The left-arm pacer picked 6 wickets in three T20Is with an economy of 6.92 – best in the series amongst bowlers to bowl their full quota of 12 overs.

Natarajan was the leading wicket-taker for Sunrisers Hyderabad’s in the IPL. The 29-year-old picked 16 wickets at an economy of 8 while bowling mostly in the death overs. Natarajan bowled the most number of yorkers in the tournament

After his impressive show in the IPL, and an added left-arm angle to further his cause, he was selected in the ODI series for Australia. In the third ODI in Canberra, he took two wickets.

The more he is gonna play, the more he is gonna get better: Harbhajan Singh

As India completed their T20I series victory on Tuesday – even though losing the third match – Natarajan along with the white-ball specialists are going to return to India as the rest of the squad gear up for the upcoming high-intensity Test series.

However, Harbhajan Singh has opined that T Natarajan should be asked to stay back in Australia to bowl to the Indian batsman in the nets. He feels that the more the pacer will bowl, the better he will become.

Speaking to India Today, Harbhajan Singh said, “I am sure he is gonna become better. The more he is gonna play, the more he is gonna get better. I wish him all the luck. I wish you know if he can stay back for the Test matches as well just to learn while you are being around the Test team.”

The 40-year-old reckons that if Natarajan is held back to bowl in the nets, not only the left-arm-seamer himself will get better, but also the Indian batsman will get practice to face the likes of Mitchell Starc as in the current squad there is no left-arm pacer.

The first Test in Adelaide commences on 17th December which is a day-night pink-ball contest.

“Rather than sending him back, let him be with the team and bowl at the nets. Because they have got Mitchell Starc and other bowlers who are left-arm seamers,” Harbhajan Singh added.

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