Mayank Agarwal converting his first-ever Test century into a commanding double hundred was like transferring the practice of “long-distance running” into a long innings on the cricket pitch. That is because the 28-year-old mentioned “long-distance running” as part of his preparation.
Thanks to Mayank’s 215 off 371 balls, and also his opening partner Rohit Sharma’s 176 off 244 balls, India sit on a mountain of runs in the opening Test of the three-match series against South Africa. India declared their first innings on 502 for seven. To make matters worse for the visiting side, the Indian spinners then removed three Proteas wickets to leave them tottering at 39 for three at stumps on Day II.
But the day undoubtedly belonged to Mayank, who at the end of the second day’s play said that crossing the 100-run mark eased his nerves.
“I am extremely happy that I was able to contribute to the team. It is a feeling I can’t describe. Being part of a side that is winning matches and tournaments is a privilege and I am happy to be part of the squad. Crossing the milestone of 100 eased my nerves and being out there for a long time in the middle gave me confidence,” Mayank said at the end-of-day media conference.
“I was determined to put away the loose balls. You cannot think about what will happen if you don’t score runs, you just have to be clear in your thought process. As an opener, you have to set the tone for your team,” he added.
Mayank’s innings of 371 balls spread over almost two days needed patience and endurance apart from cricketing acumen. “You have to make little adjustments when you play in different conditions. For me, long-distance running has helped. When I was training, I made sure that I bat five-to-six hours. Preparing for long hours has helped me in improving my game,” he said.
“I would like to say you need to think about your own game. You go through different emotions — somewhere you feel, ‘maybe I am batting well, maybe I will get my chance’, but it doesn’t work like that. You’ve got to be patient and keep working.”
Partners in runs
Mayank was all praise for his opening partner Rohit, with whom he shared a 317-run opening stand that laid the foundation for India’s big total in the first innings.
“It was good that we were able to manipulate the field. We just tried to find more ways of scoring the maximum runs. For Rohit, to get such a big score is tremendous. The way he dominated the spinners was great to see. It was great playing alongside him. Getting a 300-run partnership feels great,” Mayank said. “If Rohit and myself can keep batting together like this, it will make it really hard for the opposition,” he sounded a warning.
Steady, not relaxed
From the team point of view, the Karnataka batsman said that there was “no room for complacency” and the hosts would not ease the pressure on the South Africans.
“Definitely we are very happy with the way we have played in the first two days. But there is no room for complacency since we have the upper hand, we will keep the pressure going and we will be relentless,” Mayank said.
“Initially, the pitch did do a bit with the new ball but when the sun came down it got better and better. As we approached lunch on Day II, the ball started keeping low. It started spinning by tea and it is great signs for us.”
About the Indian spin combination of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who are already looking dangerous, Mayank said: “They (Ashwin and Jadeja) have been bowling in great areas, have kept up the pressure and bowled great lines.”
