Resolute Mayank Agarwal raises questions over India's ideal squad for South Africa Tests
For someone who has had so much going against him in the past few months, Mayank Agarwal can finally breathe a little easier.
The noose that was tightening around his neck with respect to his place in the team has mercifully been relieved by a magical hundred on a Mumbai wicket whose fickleness his fellow batters struggled to counter. Mayank's second-innings woes being briefly alleviated by a confident unbeaten 38 only sweetened the situation for him and his team.
But Mayank has had to go through a set of trials and tribulations to get where he is right now. Four failures at The Hagley Oval, against the same opposition, in February 2020 put his place in the Test side under serious question before Mitchell Starc followed in Trent Boult's footsteps by exploiting his apparent weakness against left-arm pacers.
A concussion in the nets followed, with KL Rahul snatching the opening slot that was so tantalizingly available in England. The Kanpur Test of the ongoing New Zealand series did nothing to help Mayank's case, with him managing only 30 runs across the two innings.
But now, with another home daddy hundred under his belt and India's middle order suffering from some serious selection dilemmas, Mayank Agarwal has thrown his hat in the ring for the upcoming South Africa Test series.
Floating role for Mayank Agarwal could greatly assist India
KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma were the biggest reasons behind India's impressive performance in England earlier this year, and their combination at the top of the order cannot be disturbed right now at any cost. But with Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane struggling for runs, India might have to consider some radical moves to get the most out of their batters.
Shubman Gill was supposed to bat in the middle order against New Zealand, but an injury to Rahul meant that Shreyas Iyer grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Hanuma Vihari, sent to South Africa to "get accustomed to the conditions" in a truly bizarre move from the selectors, has shown great application and poise in the Rainbow Nation for India 'A'.
So where do India look for a backup opener? Even if Pujara and Rahane are sacrificed by the team management, they have only Vihari, Gill and Iyer to choose from. And Mayank, despite his indifferent overseas form and evident technical shortcomings against quality pace-bowling, may be India's only alternative - unless they want to call up one or more of Priyank Panchal, Prithvi Shaw and Abhimanyu Easwaran, who are currently in South Africa.
India have some tough calls to make while selecting their touring party. While India 'A' batters haven't shot themselves in the foot, it has become a real difficulty to drop either Gill or Mayank. And Pujara and Rahane will feature heavily in the selectors' talks despite their poor returns because the think tank doesn't believe in moving past them just yet.
Assuming Mayank is picked in the squad, it will be as a backup opener. But can he survive a pace attack consisting of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi? Aren't India better-served having Gill, whose technical issues are relatively easy to solve and who enjoys extra pace and bounce, as the ideal reserve for Rohit and Rahul?
Just as the selectors were considering moving Gill to the middle order, a floating role for Mayank could greatly assist India. He is impeccable at taking on the spinners, and when he has gotten stuck in, he has always made it count. That not only shows that the 30-year-old has a solid temperament, but also that he is at his best when the threat of the new ball has been seen off.
Gill is a highly capable player and can be backed to adjust to an opening role even overseas. Meanwhile, Panchal and Easwaran are yet to be tested at the highest level and throwing them into the deep end against South Africa might not be the best idea. Shaw is still hit-and-miss as a red-ball opener.
Mayank could be at his best for India in a floating role that sees him thrust into different situations based on the needs of the team. He is the ultimate team man; his refusal to whinge about being dropped from the team and the way he motivates his teammates on the field even when he isn't part of the playing XI are ample proof of the same.
So when the selectors come together to select the squad that will look to create more history for India overseas, Mayank Agarwal should be one of the first names discussed. And a floating role for the Karnataka-born batter should tilt the scales heavily in his favor. If for no other reason, he deserves to be rewarded for everything he has overcome recently.