"Playing Test match cricket in India is something I’ve always wanted to do" - Ashton Agar
Australia's Ashton Agar has stated that he has always dreamt of playing Test cricket in India. With pitches in India being spin-friendly, the spin-bowling all-rounder said that games in the Asian country have been exciting to watch as well.
Agar left the Perth Scorchers' Big Bash League (BBL) 2022 camp to join the Test squad for the third and final assignment against South Africa in Sydney.
The 29-year-old is one of the players recalled by the selectors alongside opener Matt Renshaw amid injuries and keeping the conditions at the venue in mind.
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Ahead of the Aussie's four-match Test tour of India in February, Agar, who could be a part of the visiting contingent, said he remains keen on the prospect of playing red-ball cricket in India. He was quoted as saying by The Age:
"It is in my mind. I love watching the Test matches over there, and I think playing Test match cricket in India is something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s the most exciting cricket to watch on TV because the wickets have been wild recently.
"They’ve been spinning sideways, and I imagine they’ll spin a fair bit over there as well. It’s a tour I’d love to go on, but we’ll just wait and see what happens."
Agar made an instant impact on his Test debut, scoring a quick-fire 98 in the first 2013 Ashes Test in Nottingham. The southpaw put on 163 for the last wicket with the late Phillip Hughes after the tourists had slid to 117-9 in reply to England's first-innings total of 215.
However, he has played only three Tests since then, the last of which came in 2017.
"I feel like if I do come in I’ll be batting around that No.7 mark" - Ashton Agar
Agar reckons he will bat at No. 7 should he return to the Test side and hopes to hit a hundred after missing out on it once. He added:
"I feel like if I do come in I’ll be batting around that No.7 mark, which is really cool, that responsibility is really nice, it’s something I’ve been doing for Western Australia and I think it’s something that makes you play better to be honest.
"Any time you bat in four-day cricket you have time, particularly at No.7, there’s always enough time. All anyone wants is enough time to make 100, that’s every batter’s dream. I got close once, so it would be nice to do that."
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Australia took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match Test series against South Africa after winning the Boxing Day fixture in Melbourne by an innings and 182 runs.
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