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Natarajan shines as Australia score 274 for 5 in Brisbane Test

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 1/16/2021 12:26:56 PM

Brisbane, Jan 15 The incredible underdog fairytale of Thangarasu Natarajan got better with his twin strikes on debut headlining a commendable effort from an inexperienced Indian bowling attack, which reduced Australia to 274 for 5 despite a stylish hundred from Marnus Labuschagne on the opening day of the final Test here. The Indian attack, with a collective experience of 3 Tests and 10 balls and 11 wickets in its kitty, was pitted against a batting line-up with 59 hundreds. More injury worries for India: Navdeep Saini complains of groin pain, goes off field After 87 overs, the two Tamil Nadu rookies Natarajan (20-2-63-2) and Washington Sundar (2-4- 63-1) could hold their heads high for a lionhearted effort on a good batting pitch in the absence of the injured Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah. If tall off-spinner Washington set up a nice little trap to get rid of Steve Smith (36 off 77 balls), Natarajan forced centurion Labuschagne (108 off 204 balls) and Matthew Wade (47 off 85 balls) to miscue their pull-shots after a 113-run stand which threatened to put India in a spot. At stumps, Tim Paine (38) and Cameron Green (28) had added 61 runs for the sixth wicket and the visitors would need a few quick wickets to keep the first innings total within a manageable range. The distance between Palayampatti, a non-descript village in Tamil Nadu’s Salem, to Australia’s modern city Brisbane is 9035 km on a google map. Shardul Thakur (left) reacts after bowling to Marnus Labuschagne during the fourth cricket Test between India and Australia on Friday. AP/PTI Photo But add the hardships of a daily wager mother trying to put food on table, being called for suspect action early in his career, not being privileged enough to get a paternity leave (his daughter is already three months old), it’s a million miles emotionally that Team India’s favourite “Nattu” has traversed. Getting Labuschagne, who was on a rampage, with a short delivery ensured that Australia didn’t finish the day with a score close to 350. For someone, who was supposed to be a net bowler, India’s Test Cap No 300, did well enough on the first day despite not exactly being a natural. He also knows that he doesn’t have the express pace.