T Natarajan was lauded for shifting the momentum back in India's favour in his debut test match at the Gabba in Brisbane against Australia. 4/89 - RP Singh v Pak, Faisalabad 2005/06
The best figures in debut innings in a test match by a left-arm Indian pacer belong to RP Singh. Rudra Pratap made his debut in the second test match on the India tour of Pakistan at Faisalabad in January 2006. It was not a great place to bowl for the pacers with batsmen piling on the runs.
However, Singh still ensured that he did not let the match slip away from India's grasp. In fact, given that his bowling partners were Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble and even then, he was successful in finishing his debut innings as the most economical bowler says a lot about him.
Singh finished with 4 wickets from his 25 overs in which he bowled three maidens and conceded 89 runs. RP picked up one more wicket in the second innings and was awarded the Man of the Match in a game which ended in a draw.
3/78 - T Natarajan v Aus, Brisbane 2020/21
T Natarajan had a dream tour of Australia recently. The most significant part of his cricketing journey began when he was picked in the starting XI of Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2020. Despite not doing a great job in the first match, the team showed confidence in the left-arm pacer and he came good in the tournament, finishing as the team's second highest wicket taker behind Rashid Khan.
Natarajan was then picked for the tour of Australia only after spinner Varun Chakravarthy injured his shoulder. After being picked in the T20s, Natarajan was included in the ODIs and stayed on as a net bowler for the test matches as well.
He ended up making his international debut in all the three formats, the least likely of which was his test debut which came as a surprise in the final match of the tour. Natarajan did not disappoint and picked up three valuable wickets in his debut innings, while conceding 78 runs from 24.2 overs, going at an economy rate of 3.2.
He dismissed Marnus Labuschagne, Marcus Harris and Matthew Wade to pull the match back in parity.
3/97 - SS Nyalchand v Pak, Lucknow 1952/53
SS Nyalchand made his debut against Pakistan in the second test match during the Pakistan tour of India in 1952/53 and dismissed Maqsood Ahmed, Abdul Kardar and Anwar Hussain in his debut innings.
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