Birthday boy Agarwal back among runs, Pant finds form
HAMILTON: Mayank Agarwal found form on his birthday and Rishabh Pant mixed caution with customary aggression before India’s warm-up fixture against New Zealand XI ended in a draw here on Sunday.
The match was called off an hour after lunch with India reaching 252 for four just 48 overs into their second innings. Agarwal, who had gone through a lean phase since the second Test against Bangladesh, retired on 81 off 99 balls, with 10 fours and three sixes .
To the relief of the Indian team management, Pant played in his typical style to reach 70 off 65 balls, but also showed discipline when the opposition bowlers were in the midst of a good spell.
There were four sixes—two each off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi and off-spinner Henry Cooper.
While Sodhi was hit down the ground, Cooper was dispatched over extra cover twice. He didn’t curb his aggression; there were times when he was ready to defend against the spinners and also leave some deliveries of the Kiwi pacers.
BIG PLUS
The biggest positive to have emerged from India’s second innings in the game was Agarwal’s poor run coming to an end. The Seddon Park track easing out was definitely a factor but Agarwal’s footwork was more assured as he played some glorious on-drives and pull-shots off fast bowlers.
Before this game, Agarwal had played 10 competitive games including first-class, ODIS and List A matches and couldn’t cross the 40-run mark in 11 completed innings. He even bagged a pair against New Zealand A in an unofficial Test match.
Agarwal hit 10 fours and three sixes. Once he got his form back, he didn’t come out to bat after lunch, giving Test wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha an opportunity to score an unbeaten 30, his runs coming mostly against nonregular bowlers.
The Agarwal-pant pair added 100 runs in 14.3 overs and it also helped that part-timers like Cooper were introduced into the attack.
In the morning, opener Prithvi Shaw (39 off 31 balls) was bowled through the gate by Daryl Mitchell as the batsman left a gaping hole between bat and pad.
Shaw, though, seemed to have done enough during his brisk 72-run stand with Agarwal, which could put an end to the debate around the opening slot even though the tracks in Wellington’s Basin Reserve and Christchurch could be a test of technique for the flamboyant Mumbai batsman.
It was a match Shubman Gill— the other aspirant for the opener’s slot to partner Agarwal— would perhaps like to forget in a hurry as he was dismissed cheaply for the second time in a row. He scored eight before Mitchell trapped him leg before. Brief scores: Indians 263 & 252/4 in 48 overs (M Agarwal 81, R Pant 70 D Mitchell 3/33); New Zealand XI 235.