T Natarajan Lauds Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane Captaincy After Impressive Team India Debut in Australia, Recalls Emotional Moment

Asked about sharing the dressing room with international players, Natarajan said it was tough initially but he was able to pick up many things from them.

Updated: January 24, 2021 6:40 PM IST

By India.com Sports Desk | Edited by Aditya Chauhan

T Natarajan, T Natarajan Virat Kohli, T Natarajan on Virat Kohli, T Natarajan bowling speed, T Natarajan emotional moment, T Natarajan emotional moment in Australia, T Natarajan vs Australia, T Natarajan IND vs AUS Test, T Natarajan salary, T Natarajan Instagram, T Natarajan house, T Natarajan India debut, T Natarajan Team India, T Natarajan Ajinkya Rahane, T Natarajan ajinkya rahane, T Natarajan daughter, T Natarajan wife, T Natarajan stats, T Natarajan career, T Natarajan Indian cricket team, T Natarajan Bowling stats, T Natarajan first class career, T Natarajan Team India Debut, T Natarajan IND vs AUS Test series, latest cricket news, Ajinkya Rahane, ajinkya rahane speech, ajinkya rahane Team India, ajinkya rahane inspirational speech, ajinkya rahane India dressing room, Ajinkya Rahane Dressing room speech, ajinkya rahane motivational speech, ajinkya rahane stats, Ajinkya Rahane hero's welcome, Ajinkya Rahane wife, Ajinkya Rahane daughter, Ajinkya Rahane Team India captain, Ajinkya Rahane vs Australia, Ajinkya Rahane IND vs AUS test series, Ajinkya Rahane grand welcome, Ajinkya Rahane news, Ajinkya Rahane batting video, Ajinkya Rahane residence, Ajinkya Rahane home, Ajinkya Rahane IPL, Ajinkya Rahane wiki, Ajinkya Rahane captaincy, Ajinkya Rahane welcome in Mumbai, Ajinkya Rahane Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane Ravi Shastri, latest cricket news, Brisbane Test, Gabba Test, live cricket score ind vs aus, live cricket commentary ind vs aus 4th Test, live cricket updates ind vs aus Sydney test, australia vs india live score, ind vs aus live cricket score, live cricket score ind vs aus, India vs Australia 2021, India vs Australia 2021 live, India vs Australia 2021 New Year Test, India vs Australia 2021 4th Test live score, live cricket score india australia, India vs Australia 2021 final date, India vs Australia 2021 news, India vs Australia 2021 latest news, India vs Australia 2021 teams, India vs Australia 2021 schedule, India vs Australia teams, India vs Australia 2021 winner, IND vs AUS Test, IND vs AUS Live Score, IND vs AUS Test Schedule, IND vs AUS 4th Test 2021, IND vs AUS Live Match Scorecard, IND vs AUS Live Match Scorecard, India vs Australia 2021 fixture list, India vs Australia 2021 points table, India vs Australia match schedule 2021, India vs Australia score, India vs Australia live, India vs Australia live, live score, India vs Australia live match, India vs Australia 2021 live cricket score, India vs Australia 2021, India vs Australia 2021 news, India vs Australia 2021 live score, live India vs Australia 2021, India vs Australia 2021 cricket score,
Natarajan Lauds Kohli, Rahane Captaincy After Impressive Team India Debut in Australia©BCCI-CA-Twitter

India’s latest pace bowling find, T Natarajan, on Sunday said he enjoyed playing under the captaincy of both Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, adding they both supported and encouraged him a lot. Natarajan further added that he was not sure of debuting in even one format, let alone all three and make history during the team’s tour of Australia.

“Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane handled me very well. They had positive things to say and encouraged me a lot. I enjoyed playing under both of them,” the 29-year-old told reporters in Chinnappampatti in Salem district.

Natarajan said he was picked for the fourth and final Test against Australia in Brisbane. He became the first Indian to debut in all three formats during the same tour. “I was keen to do my job. But I didn’t expect to get an opportunity in the ODIs, was not expecting to make my debut in Australia,” he added.

“When I was told that I will be playing there was pressure. I wanted to make use of the opportunity. Playing and taking a wicket was like a dream.”

Natarajan said he got emotional when Kohli handed the trophy to him after the team won the T20 series. “When Kohli handed over the trophy to me after the T20 series win, I had tears in my eyes,” he said.

Natarajan took three wickets in the series-deciding Test, playing a part in India’s incredible win.

“I cannot express my happiness in words about playing for India. It was like a dream. I got a lot of support from the coaches, players. They supported and motivated me a lot. I was able to perform well because of their backing,” he said in Tamil.

He made his ODI debut in the third and final match of the three-match series and picked up two wickets with Marnus Labuschagne being his maiden international scalp.

Asked about sharing the dressing room with international players, Natarajan said it was tough initially but he was able to pick up many things from them.

“Having played in the IPL and played alongside many Indian and foreign players helped as that experience was useful. I could communicate with them and learn from them. First, it was tough but as things went on, I was able to pick up many things,” he added.

He said Australian opener David Warner, his captain at Sunrisers Hyderabad, had good things to say about him.

“Warner said he was very proud of me. He was happy to see my progress. He told me during the match that you are very lucky and told me that I was doing well because my daughter had been born,” the Tamil Nadu pacer said.

Natarajan, whose daughter was born while he was playing the IPL in UAE, said he did miss seeing her but playing for the country was a matter of pride for his family.

Also Read:

For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest Cricket News on India.com.

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts Cookies Policy.