India opener Mayank Agarwal was disappointed with himself as he failed to complete his maiden Test century on the first day of the final Test against Australia in Sydney. The right-handed batsman scored 77 runs before being dismissed by spinner Nathan Lyon. However, Agarwal’s 116-run stand with Cheteshwar Pujara for the second wicket put the visitors in a commanding position, as India reached 303/4 at stumps. Pujara, who remained unbeaten on 130 will resume the Indian innings on Friday along with Hanuma Vihari.
India opener Mayank Agarwal was disappointed with himself as he failed to complete his maiden Test century on the first day of the final Test against Australia in Sydney. The right-handed batsman scored 77 runs before being dismissed by spinner Nathan Lyon. However, Agarwal’s 116-run stand with Cheteshwar Pujara for the second wicket put the visitors in a commanding position, as India reached 303/4 at stumps. Pujara, who remained unbeaten on 130 will resume the Indian innings on Friday along with Hanuma Vihari.
“I am quite disappointed for missing out on a big score. With that said, it’s a learning curve. If I don’t make this mistake again, it will be a good learning. I was looking to dominate Nathan Lyon and it didn’t work out. Really disappointed that I threw my wicket,” Agarwal said during the post-match press conference.
Speaking on his partnership with Pujara, Agarwal said, “The plan was always to get a small partnership after each wicket and that’s the same thing we spoke about. We said to each other that let’s try to play close to the body and not give them wickets. Even if we are not getting too many runs too quick, it’s alright; let’s try get a partnership and take it from there onwards.”
After KL Rahul was sent back to the pavilion for 9, the duo faced a testing spell of short bowling from the Australian pacers. Praising the Aussie pace attack, the Karnataka opener said, “They also came very hard, but to be really honest, I think the Australian pace bowling attack came really, really hard. They bowled quick bouncers and they were sharp. They were consistent and didn’t give anything away.”
Lauding Pujara’s ton, Agarwal said, “Definitely, it is great to watch him bat from the other end and also to watch him bat the way he grinds the bowlers. He has got a pattern to it and he understands his strengths and know that he is very tight with his defence. He looks to do that and waits for the bad ball to come. This game is for five days and there is time. It is a very long game and if you see him bat, you can learn a lot. Patience is his strength and he sticks to that.”
This was an additional confidence booster for the opener as he scored 76 and 42 in his debut Test in Melbourne. He credited former Indian skipper Rahul Dravid for instilling this confidence in him.
“Runs gives you lot of confidence. The more you play it gives you confidence and belief in your game. I think those runs have really helped me and have given me a lot of confidence. They have helped me stay within myself. Obviously playing under Dravid is good. We, as batsmen, speak about our technique and the game, and he is out there to help us, guide us and help us climb the ladder. And his advice has been really helpful. He told me to think about how to manage my mental energy and that’s something we have spoken about for 4-6 months.”
Talking about the course of this Test on the second day, Agarwal said, “We are very happy, we would have liked to be just three down but that said 303-4 on first day after choosing to bat, I think we are in a great position.”
“I am quite disappointed for missing out on a big score. With that said, it’s a learning curve. If I don’t make this mistake again, it will be a good learning. I was looking to dominate Nathan Lyon and it didn’t work out. Really disappointed that I threw my wicket,” Agarwal said during the post-match press conference.
Speaking on his partnership with Pujara, Agarwal said, “The plan was always to get a small partnership after each wicket and that’s the same thing we spoke about. We said to each other that let’s try to play close to the body and not give them wickets. Even if we are not getting too many runs too quick, it’s alright; let’s try get a partnership and take it from there onwards.”
After KL Rahul was sent back to the pavilion for 9, the duo faced a testing spell of short bowling from the Australian pacers. Praising the Aussie pace attack, the Karnataka opener said, “They also came very hard, but to be really honest, I think the Australian pace bowling attack came really, really hard. They bowled quick bouncers and they were sharp. They were consistent and didn’t give anything away.”
Lauding Pujara’s ton, Agarwal said, “Definitely, it is great to watch him bat from the other end and also to watch him bat the way he grinds the bowlers. He has got a pattern to it and he understands his strengths and know that he is very tight with his defence. He looks to do that and waits for the bad ball to come. This game is for five days and there is time. It is a very long game and if you see him bat, you can learn a lot. Patience is his strength and he sticks to that.”
This was an additional confidence booster for the opener as he scored 76 and 42 in his debut Test in Melbourne. He credited former Indian skipper Rahul Dravid for instilling this confidence in him.
“Runs gives you lot of confidence. The more you play it gives you confidence and belief in your game. I think those runs have really helped me and have given me a lot of confidence. They have helped me stay within myself. Obviously playing under Dravid is good. We, as batsmen, speak about our technique and the game, and he is out there to help us, guide us and help us climb the ladder. And his advice has been really helpful. He told me to think about how to manage my mental energy and that’s something we have spoken about for 4-6 months.”
Talking about the course of this Test on the second day, Agarwal said, “We are very happy, we would have liked to be just three down but that said 303-4 on first day after choosing to bat, I think we are in a great position.”