Indian bowlers impress McDonald

Brisbane, Jan. 16: Australia’s assistant coach Andrew McDonald on Saturday praised the highly inexperienced Indian bowling attack for the final Test and singled out Washington Sundar, saying the young off-spinner filled the shoes of Ravichandran Ashwin “quite well”.

Hit by a barrage of injuries through the series, India picked debutants Washington (3/89) and medium pacer T. Natarajan (3/78) in the playing eleven on Friday.

The duo was travelling with the squad as net bowlers.

“I thought they (the Indian bowlers) were very consistent. I thought Washington Sundar in particular was disciplined and fill that role of Ravi Ashwin quite well and kept it tight and was able to take some key wickets on the way,” McDonald said at the virtual post-day press conference after Day Two.

“So, for me I suppose, he is a bowler who controlled well the tempo of the game and I think it stood out for me.”

McDonald, who also coaches in the IPL, was also impressed by Natarajan.

“...Natarajan shaped the ball early, there is lot (to like) about him, left-arm swing bowler, no doubt he is inexperienced but has enough played first-class games to be play his first Test on this tour, (that) is a great achievement, so I think they held their own,” the 39-year-old said.

The left-arm pacer had impressed in the limited overs leg of the tour after making the Indian team at the back of a stellar IPL. “They (Indian bowlers) applied pressure throughout the innings and they made (it) difficult for ourselves. Times when we felt we would get on the top, they were able to bounce back and get key wickets at crucial times. It was great armwrestle, so full credit to their attack.”