Mayank Agarwal (77) impressed again with another important knock to give India a solid start on Day I of the fourth and final Test at the SCG.

Riding Mayank’s second half-century in what’s his second appearance at the international stage, and Cheteshwar Pujara’s unbeaten 130, India placed themselves in a strong position having reached 303/4 at stumps on Thursday.

Together, Mayank and Pujara got through a tough phase and stitched 116 for the second wicket.

After the duo laid the foundation, Hanuma Vihari (39 batting) joined Pujara, who scored his third hundred of the series, and both then forged a commanding 75-run partnership for the fifth wicket that rattled Australia.

Despite delivering at the top of the order when India really needed someone, Mayank isn’t too pleased with his effort as he feels he once again left behind what could have been a bigger score.

Talking to reporters later, the 27-year-old said: “I am quite disappointed for missing out on a big score. But having said that, 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 away … Nonetheless, I need to learn from mistakes.”

This 77-run knock, though, further boosted Mayank’s confidence after his impressive showing in the debut Test at the MCG. He credited Rahul Dravid for instilling confidence in him.

“Runs give you a lot of confidence. The more you play, the more confidence it gives you and instils further 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 Sir’s supervision is always 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. His advice has been really helpful.

“He told me to think about how I should look after my mental strength and that’s something we have spoken about for four to six months.”

India lost KL Rahul early and the duo faced a testing spell of short bowling from the Australian pacers. According to Mayank, the focus of Pujara and him was on building partnerships.

“Recently I faced such short bowling from the New Zealand A side (in New Zealand). They also came very hard at us. But to be honest, I think the Australian pace bowling attack came really, really harder.

“They bowled quick bouncers and were sharp. They were consistent and didn’t give anything away. Our plan is always to get a small partnership after each wicket and that’s the same thing Pujara and myself spoke about.

“We said to each other that we should try to play close to the body and not give them wickets. ‘Even if we are not getting too many runs quickly, it’s all right. Let’s try and get a partnership and take it on from there onwards’,” Mayank added.

Pujara, en route his unbeaten 130 on Day I, faced 250 balls — the fourth time he has played 200-plus deliveries in an innings on this tour. Mayank emphasised learning from the batting style of his senior teammate.