Nivethan, Aussie from TN, does the talking with both arms
This is part of a select 12-member team from Australia visiting MRF Academy where the focus is on giving emerging batters, wicketkeepers and spin bowlers exposure to Indian playing conditions. The tour will conclude on August 13.
Nivethan spoke about his journey so far after the knock. "It has been a unique couple of days. Due to COVID and my contract to Tasmania, I couldn't find time to come back here. So I'm feeling really proud of just being able to actually be on the soil. The emblem (on the T-shirt) may be different but the love for the game and the passion remains the same," he told this daily. On his flight to Chennai, he kept thinking about his friends. "The last time a lot of these people saw me when my height was about the stumps and a lot of these people literally taught me how to play cricket. In terms of playing, I just wanted to soak it in and get my muscle memory back, as I have played in these conditions," he added.
Starting off as a right arm off-spinner, his father and junior Tamil Nadu cricketer Anbuselvan insisted he tried try bowling with his left arm. Taking his advice, the the 22-year-old has grown stronger with both arms. He had shown it in his One-Day Cup debut in February 2025 where he scalped two wickets.
"I do understand that just being able to bowl with two hands isn't the be-all end-all like it's just because I do it doesn't mean I'm going to take wickets or necessarily even bowl a lot of overs," he said. Nivethan felt there's a long way to go for the 'finished form.' "All I am trying to do at the moment, especially with this trip in these conditions is actually understand what my strengths and weaknesses are and try to bounce (ideas) off Rafa (Macmillian) and Lloyd (Pope) and see how they go about it," he said.
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