'Underachiever then, match-winner now' - Mark Waugh praises India star following Nagpur heroics

Indian captain Rohit Sharma isaginglike a wine – especially in Tests. Despite being one of the best white-ball players for years now, Rohit became a mainstay in the longer format some time back only. Tipped to be the next big thing during hisheydays, Rohit did fulfil that promise after becoming a full-time opener in ODIs and T20Is a decade back. However, his turn-around in Tests came after he became the captain, and he hasn’t looked back since. During the first Test against Australia in Nagpur, he created history by becoming the first Indian captain to hit hundreds across all formats.

Mark Waugh, the former Aussie great, had some wonderful words for the India batter. Following Rohit’s superb knockwhere he laid the foundation for a big total in the first innings, Waugh said Rohit was an underachiever in Tests before, but has evolved to be a great all-format batter now – calling him a match-winner in Tests. In his recent interaction on Star Sports, Waugh said,

"He (Rohit) has had an interesting Test career, hasn't he? In the early bit of his career, he was an underachiever of sorts. He needed to work on his discipline. But he has always had a touch of class, he has always had time like all the great players. He has a very simple technique. He has always been a match-winner in white-ball cricket, but he is a match-winner in Test cricket now."

The ever-gracious Mark Waugh also complimented Rohit saying he always had the class but with time has also gained the discipline he required to be among the greats. Adding that Rohit has done well overseas also, Waugh said he can change gears in Tests as per the situation, and with the wide range of shots he has, the India captain will always remain a threat to the opposition.

"He has got the discipline; he has got the range of shots. It's all about the mental game now. He is a class player, in all conditions. He plays well overseas; he has got a perfect game for Indian conditions. He has got the range, he watches the ball so closely, and he has got great hands. He reads the game well, he can go up the gear and down the gear, according to the situation," the former Aussie legend told Star Sports.

Meanwhile, even before the start of the Nagpur Test there was a lot of talk about the pitch – to which Rohit during the presser had said the onus should remain on playing good cricket instead of worrying about the surface. He well did the same as he was the highest run-scorer with 120 runs.

The second of the four-match Test series will start on February 17th in Delhi.