Nivethan cherishes his stint with Clarke, Lyon

The ambidextrous player — he bowls right-arm pace, off-spin, left-arm spin and is an opening batsman — Nivethan, who plays for Karaikudi Kaalai in TNPL, has learnt the tricks of the trade from Clarke’s Cricket Academy in Sydney. Nivethan said the interactions with the former Australian captain have given him an ‘edge over others’ with his newfound confidence. 

“The stint and the interactions have definitely transformed me into an attacking cricketer. It has made me more confident, like how the Australians are. A lot of people who have seen me here say I have become overconfident and brash. 

It is not my attitude but that’s how the game is played in Australia and I have developed that behavior on the field. I feel that confidence has given me an edge over others,” he said on the sidelines of a practice session with Karaikudi Kaalai. The Chennai player said the style of Australian cricket is very daunting. 

“There is a vast difference in how we look for gaps and take singles and how the Australians do it. They play more of attacking cricket. In India, when we hit a four or six, we immediately get a fielder on the line and that opens up a gap in the field to play a single. In Australia, how much ever you hit, the fielders and bowlers will attack you relentlessly. You can hit a boundary but taking singles is a tough task there,” he explained.  

Nivethan said he was amazed at how Clarke participated in a lot of net sessions with him. “We had a lot of sessions, it is not like we need to discover and implement the techniques ourselves. Clarke  showed us how to play,” Nivethan noted. 

Nivethan is richer for his bowling experience too. A brief training stint at the NSW State Academy, he was assessed and coached by former Australian spinner Nathan Lyon. “The  Australian coaching isn’t too technical. I bowled some good balls and Lyon just complimented my style and the areas I bowled,” he said. Lyon, however, suggested Nivethan to change his bowling action. 

“I bowl side-on but my back leg would be straighter. It can be injury prone in the coming years, so I had to change how I positioned my back leg while delivering the ball. Lyon had the same problem and encountered a lot of injuries because of that and he suggested that I incorporate the change instantly,” he concluded.