T Natarajan, Zaheer Khan
T Natarajan and Rohit Sharma [Image Credits: Getty]

Indian opener, Rohit Sharma lavished praise on T Natarajan after the pacer’s brilliant performance on his Test debut in the ongoing Brisbane Test match against Australia. After injuries to all the first-choice pacers in the Indian team, Natarajan was given a debut at the Gabba; he becomes the first Indian to make a debut in all three formats during the same tour.

T Natarajan returned with figures of 3/78 in Australia’s first innings. The seamer broke the 113-run partnership between Matthew Wade and Marnus Labuschagne as both batsmen looked in ominous touch. He returned towards the end of the innings to clean up Josh Hazlewood as an inexperienced Indian bowling attack restricted the hosts to a total of 369.

T Natarajan
T Natarajan (Credits: Twitter)

Natarajan understands his bowling really well: Rohit Sharma

Speaking during the virtual press conference after stumps on Day 2, Rohit Sharma opines that Natarajan bowled accordingly to the plans. Rohit believes that the left-arm seamer is a bright prospect for India in Test cricket as well.

Rohit, who is the interim vice-captain of the Test team, reckons Natarajan carried the confidence he gained from the IPL and the limited-overs matches against Australia to the Test match in Brisbane. The 33-year-old maintains that Natarajan understands his bowling, and bowled brilliantly for someone playing his maiden Test match.

Read More  Babar Azam joins teammates for intensive training at Kakul camp after missing two days
Rohit Sharma, Sunil Gavaskar
Rohit Sharma [Image Credits: Twitter]

“Natarajan is a bright prospect for us, he showed a lot of discipline when he played for India in the white-ball format. He was coming off a good IPL and he carried that confidence into the white-ball series against Australia. Then to have a Test match like that, first spell he bowled was very accurate, if I have to judge,” Rohit Sharma said in a media interaction.

“Somebody who is playing his first Test, we can really say that he understands his bowling really well, it is something that India wants. Natarajan was trying to do what was expected out of him and I think he looks like a bright prospect for sure,” he added.

The second day at the Gabba was brought to close early after rain poured down relentlessly and the final session was washed out. India is 62/2 having lost both openers; Rohit Sharma was looking set for a big score but gifted his wicket away to Nathan Lyon.

Also Read: It’s Always A Great Battle With Him; Nathan Lyon Looking Forward To His Duel With Rishabh Pant