IND V AUS 2020: Sunil Gavaskar picks Mayank Agarwal and Marnus Labuschagne as the players to watch out for in the Test series
Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar has named Mayank Agarwal and Marnus Labuschagne as the two players to watch out for in the upcoming Test series between India and Australia.
According to Sunil Gavaskar, Agarwal has shown tremendous improvement since making a successful Test debut Down Under during the 2018-19 series.
“The player to watch out for from India will be Mayank Agarwal. He came to Australia for the last couple of matches two years ago and he actually showed the way. Till then, India had not got any starts. But, he batted brilliantly," Sunil Gavaskar said about the 29-year-old.
"He actually showed how to tackle Nathan Lyon. He was stepping down the pitch, lofting him straight. The freshness of youth, you could say. And since then, he has only become better," added Gavaskar.
Agarwal scored 76 runs on his debut in the Boxing Day Test of the 2018-19 season. He went on to register scores of 42 and 77 in the next two innings as India created history Down Under. The opener has already notched up two double centuries and a hundred in his 11-match Test career at an average of 57.29.
I'm looking forward to watching Marnus Labuschagne: Sunil Gavaskar
From the Australian team, the former India captain chose Marnus Labuschagne as the batsman he is excited to watch. Pointing out to the fact that even Sachin Tendulkar saw a bit of himself in the Aussie, Sunil Gavaskar said:
“From Australia, I am looking at this new kid on the block, Marnus Labuschagne. When Sachin Tendulkar says that Labuschagne reminds him of himself, that is an ominous sign for the bowlers of the world, not just India. So, I am looking forward to watching him.”
Earlier this year, Tendulkar paid Labuschagne a huge compliment when he stated that he saw a bit of himself in the Australian batsman. During a visit to Sydney, the Master Blaster was asked if any modern-day players remind him of himself. Tendulkar replied:
“His (Labuschagne’s) footwork was incredible, so he would be the one I would say.”
Recently, he also named Labuschagne as one of the biggest threats for Team India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Labuschagne (26) has featured in 14 Tests so far and has 1459 runs to his name at an average of 63.43 with four centuries.
Watch the Border-Gavaskar Test series from December 17, 8:30 am onwards, Live and Exclusive on Sony Six, Sony Ten 1 and Sony Ten 3 (Hindi) channels.