KEY POINTS:
Tarun Nethula was in the Auckland cricket squad a couple of years ago, but didn't get a chance to play.
And he can see now that was not a bad thing.
The Auckland legspinning allrounder made his first-class debut against Canterbury at Rangiora this week and played a notable part in the 73-run win.
Nethula took three for 83 in the second innings, drawing plenty of praise in the process.
At 25, Nethula has bided his time, playing for the Auckland A side, having worked his way through the age group representative teams.
Born in Hyderabad, Nethula came to New Zealand with his family when he was 12. Legspin has always been his first love and he was grateful to have had an opportunity.
"Obviously I was nervous being my first game," he said yesterday.
"But Mark [coach Mark O'Donnell] and the senior boys said bowl in a certain area and let the ball and pitch do the rest, not to worry about who I was bowling to. That was what I stuck to, quite a simple plan."
He dismissed New Zealand batsman Peter Fulton with a peach of a delivery which spun sharply and bounced to be edged to slip, and removed Shanan Stewart and wicketkeeper/batsman Kruger van Wyk with googlies.
His figures would have been better had he not dropped a return catch from Brandon Hiini.
Nethula knows he is better than he was a couple of years ago, and he's put injury problems behind him too.
"Looking back now, I'm much better mentally, a lot stronger now. Now I know what it means to play at this level and what an honour it is.
"That fear of failure has almost gone into background. It used to hinder me when I was younger. Now it's about the moment."
You can't accuse the Cornwall player of lacking ambition. He has spent the past five winters playing in Britain, ranging from the West of Scotland club, to Tewkesbury in Gloucester, Buckingham Town in Northamptonshire and North Middlesex of the Middlesex league.
Legspinners don't come along often and it's always wise to counsel caution. Nethula knows it's only a start, albeit a good one, but he has many overs and hours of first-class bowling in which he'll need to prove himself.
The last legspinner to play a test for New Zealand was Brooke Walker, who took five expensive wickets in five tests from 2000-02. Before that, luckless Greg Loveridge had one test against Zimbabwe in 1996 but damaged his hand before he had a chance to bowl and that was his lot.
But Nethula shapes as an interesting new face on the first-class stage.
"Growing up as a kid there was no better feeling that dreaming about playing for your country," Nethula said. "I've been wanting this opportunity for a long time so I'm putting everything into it."
* Auckland have named an unchanged 12 for their second State Championship game against Central Districts, starting in Napier on Monday.
