Thirunavukarasu Kumaran, took five wickets for 68 in Queensland's first innings at Gabba today and is closer to realising his dream than ever before.``It was a bit of a surprise to me when I called up my home in Chennai from New Zealand last month and was informed by my sister that I had been selected to the Indian team to tour Australia,'' says Kumaran.

Kumaran had been sent to the Australian Cricket Academy under an exchange agreement by the MRF Pace Foundation last month on Dennis Lillee's recommendation along with Mumbai bowler Zaheer Khan.

``We could not play in Australia because the weather wasn't so great,'' said Kumaran.

After remaining in Adelaide for three days without much play, he went to New Zealand on an 18-day tour with the ACA team.

``It was a great learning experience....I shared the new ball and had a good trip but I really wanted to bowl on bouncy Australian wickets,'' said Kumaran.

``My dream has now been realised.''Speaking over the phone, Rodney Marsh, former Australian wicketkeeper and director of the ACA in Adelaide, was all praise for Kumaran.

``He came here on DK (Dennis Lillee's) recommendation and was a most likeable kid. He was confident, a wonderful young cricketer and mingled with other cricketers easily.''

A commerce graduate, Kumaran made his debut for Tamil Nadu in 1996-97 and is playing his 16th first class game.

Of course he vividly remembers the Irani Trophy game in which he demolished Ranji champions Karnataka with a match haul of 10 for 81.

``It propelled me into national limelight,'' he says.

He was picked for the Indian team's one-day matches against New Zealand in Guwahati and Delhi and has so far claimed four wickets at 13.25 with an economy rate of 3.11 per over.

Talking about his performance in this game, Kumaran said he did not bowlwell initially yesterday. ``My length was not right,'' he said, ``But by the time I came in for the third spell, I was pitching it up.''