Mayank Agarwal poses with his name on Wankhede honours board after scoring ton in 2nd India vs New Zealand Test
Team India opener Mayank Agarwal had his name inscribed on the honours board at the Wankhede Stadium after scoring a brilliant hundred in the second Test against New Zealand.
Agarwal, whose place in the team was under question heading into the Test, responded with scores of 150 and 62. He was named Player of the Match for his brilliant performance as India hammered the Kiwis by 372 runs in a little over three days.
On Monday, the BCCI shared pictures of Agarwal posing next to the honours board at the Wankhede Stadium with his name inscribed on it. The BCCI’s Twitter handle shared the images with the caption:
“Name inscribed on the Honours Board at the Wankhede! Well done, @mayankcricket #TeamIndia #INDvNZ.”
Name inscribed on the Honours Board at the Wankhede! 🙌 🙌
Well done, @mayankcricket! 👏 👏
#TeamIndia #INDvNZ @Paytm https://t.co/6KeLUb5CxY
Agarwal was the only batter from either side to score a century in the Mumbai Test. He hit 150 from 311 balls in the first innings and contributed 62 from 108 deliveries in the second.
The 30-year-old’s performance will put the selectors in a dilemma with regards to the opening slots for the South Africa series. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul are set to be India’s top two, while Shubman Gill is also in the mix as a back-up opener.
“Should have converted the sixty” - Mayank Agarwal on second innings dismissal
Reacting to his impressive performance, Agarwal said he was happy to be back among the runs. At the same time, he admitted that he should have converted the second innings fifty into a bigger score.
Speaking after the match, Agarwal said:
"It feels good to be back among the runs and this knock is special for me. I didn't really think about the second hundred in the match but should have converted the sixty. We will relish the abroad challenge in South Africa, so we're looking forward to that too.”
Agarwal added that he did not change anything technically after the twin failures in Kanpur but worked on the mental aspect of his game. The opener elaborated:
"I didn't change anything from Kanpur; I just had the mental discipline and determination. The technique isn't going to be the best all the time, it won't guarantee runs, but the will to fight is the key. Rahul bhai told me about not thinking of technique mid-series, and told me this is the technique that's got me runs. Sunny sir said I should keep my bat low early on in the innings and open up my left shoulder."
Grit, Determination & Resilience
A test hundred is always special and this one will remain forever so. https://t.co/Ey6YX0hzpw
Needing five wickets to clinch the Mumbai Test, India wrapped things up within 45 minutes on Day 4, with off-spinner Jayant Yadav claiming four scalps.