Former Australia batter Mark Waugh on Sunday (February 12) heaped praise on Rohit Sharma, saying that the Indian skipper has evolved from being a terrific white-ball player to a match-winner in Test cricket.

Waugh's comments came in the wake of Rohit’s match-winning century on a spin-friendly track in the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test between India and Australia in Nagpur.

On a pitch where no Aussie batter managed to hit a half-century across the two innings, Rohit slammed 120 to script India’s victory by an innings and 132 runs.

"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.

"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," Mark Waugh told Star Sports.

Coming the Nagpur Test, Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin spun a web around Australia with the ball to ensure India’s 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

Jadeja ran through the Australian batting line-up in the first innings, picking a five-wicket haul (5-47) to bundle out the visitors for a paltry 177.

After India took a massive first-innings lead of 223 runs, it was Ashwin’s turn to demolish the Aussies. The veteran off-spinner returned with the figures of 5 for 37 in his 12 overs as the hosts bowl out the tourists for a mere 91 to wrap the match inside three days.

The second Test will be played in Delhi from Friday (February 17).