Virender Sehwag 'delighted' with T Natarajan's impressive performance on Test debut

Former Indian vice-captain Virender Sehwag came forward and lauded T Natarajan for showcasing an impressive performance with the ball in hand on Day 1 of the series-deciding fourth and final Test match against Australia at the Gabba, Brisbane.

The Salem pacer who had made his Test debut on Friday accounted for centurion Marnus Labuschagne and middle-order batsman Matthew Wade just when it looked like they would help the Aussies post a formidable total. He has been the pick of the bowlers so far with figures of 2/63 from his 20 overs on the opening day's play. 

'Feel delighted': Virender Sehwag

Taking to the micro-blogging site, Viru wrote that the left-arm speedster's story is stuff dreams are made of after which he added that he is feeling delighted for the young man. 

READ: Bhogle, Jaffer Laud Dravid's Efforts As Injury-hit India Assemble Young Guns For 4th Test

Australia eye a mammoth total on Day 2

The coin once again landed in Australian Test skipper Tim Paine's favour and for the third straight time, he elected to bat first. The Aussies lost both their openers David Warner & Marcus Harris early before their famed top-order duo of Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith carried out the rescue act with a 70-run stand for the fourth wicket before the latter was dismissed.

READ: BCCI Wishes SCG Hero Hanuma Vihari A Speedy Recovery As He Heads Back To India

Labuschagne did get some support from middle-order batsman Matthew Wade (45) but it was the South African-born cricketer who took matters into his own hands and went after the Indian bowlers. He got a reprieve when he was batting on 37 after he was dropped by India's stand-in-captain Ajinkya Rahane at gully. The 26-year-old made the visitors pay for and notched up his fifth Test century and just when it appeared that the number three batsman was unstoppable, he was dismissed for 108 after mistiming a pull shot and was caught behind by Rishabh Pant off T Natarajan.

The middle-order duo of Cameron Green (28*) and skipper Paine (38*) have currently registered an unbeaten 61-run stand for the sixth-wicket as Australia's scorecard read 274/5 at stumps on Day 1. 

The hosts will be eyeing a mammoth total when they resume their innings on Day 2. 

READ: Sanjay Manjrekar Compares T Natarajan's Adaptability Skills To A Multi-talented Chef