Since his Test debut in the Boxing Day Test of 2018, Mayank Agarwal has 872 runs in 9 Tests at an average of 67.07 with two of his three hundred-plus scores converted to double centuries. The Karnataka opener has seamlessly adapted to Test cricket and is the highest run-scorer for India in the format since his debut, beating the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane.
After a good-looking 76 in his debut innings against Australia in Melbourne, Mayank made scores of 42 and 77 on the same tour before a tour of West Indies saw him make just one half-century. Just as doubts were being raised about his presence at the top, Mayank came roaring in the home series against South Africa alongside Rohit Sharma. A double ton at Vizag involved a triple century stand with Rohit and Mayank followed it up with another ton in Pune.
Against Bangladesh at Indore, the opener cracked his highest Test score of 243. It was his penchant for big scores in domestic cricket that earned Mayank a place in the Test team. He made over a 1000 Ranji runs in one month once including a triple century for Karnataka and knocked down the door for Test selection before eventually making his debut in Australia and then shining for India in the format.
It's been more than a year since, and Mayank is undoubtedly one of India's most reliable batters in Tests now. In the last two series, he exhibited good confidence at the top alongside Rohit Sharma, who himself took to his new red ball role pretty well.
Now as India head into the toughest format of their New Zealand tour, Rohit Sharma's absence will mean the onus is on Mayank to make runs at the top or provide a reasonable cushion for the middle-order. The in-form KL Rahul, Mayank's Karnataka teammate, was left out of the Test side despite his recent form in limited-overs cricket and Rohit's absence. This means that Mayank will mostly be the senior partner at the top of the order with one of Prithvi Shaw or Shubman Gill likely to bat alongside him.
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The problem for India, though, is that Mayank is in wretched form since landing in New Zealand with the India A team. Having arrived early with a few other squad members to acclimatise to the conditions here, Mayank has barely found any runs.
Mayank since landing in New Zealand:
India A tour of New Zealand: 8, 32, 29, 37, 24, 0, 0.
ODIs: 32, 3, 1
First warm-up game: 0
In the series against New Zealand XI, Mayank returned with three single digit scores including a pair in the final outing. He was, however, called up to open in ODIs in place of Rohit Sharma and started in all three games alongside Prithvi Shaw. While Shaw himself struggled after getting starts, Mayank could barely manage to start after a 32 in the first ODI.
Scores of three and one further pegged back his confidence in the ODIs and the warm-up game against New Zealand XI prior to the first Test was touted as Mayank's chance to redeem his form. The opener, though, fell for a duck as India lost their top three for five runs - all of them to Scott Kuggeleijn - on day one of the warm-up game.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari then lifted the team with centuries, but Mayank's form remains a major headache for team India as they prepare themselves for a sterner examination from the likes of Trent Boult, Neil Wagner and Tim Southee in the Test series on more pace-conducive wickets.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Michael Bradley
