International cricket is baptism by fire, says Mayank Agarwal
Indian opener Mayank Agarwal, who debuted in Australia on Boxing Day, has stated that he has come to terms with the rigours of international cricket, which he feels is baptism by fire. Agarwal also lauded praise on the 'champion mentality' of the Indian team which has seen them rise to the very top.
There are players who score runs in domestic cricket, there are players who knock the doors of the selectors, and then there is Mayank Agarwal, who literally shattered doors with the sheer amount of runs he scored in domestic cricket. In November 2017, the Karnataka opener amassed 1000 runs in just 27 days, a feat that has not been achieved by any cricketer in the history of the game.
Agarwal was astonishingly handed his debut on the Boxing Day Test in 2018 and since then, the opener has caught eyeballs, scoring three fifties in his first four Tests. Now, the 28-year-old has described international cricket as a "baptism by fire" stating that the most important and challenging aspect for a cricketer is to overcome the obstacles on the way and deal with things as they come.
"I'm getting a taste of what international cricket is all about. From having a good start to my international career in Australia to facing West Indies in their backyard, totally different from what I expected or thought. I have come to understand international cricket is baptism by fire," Agarwal told Times of India.
"There are times when things go your way, then there are other times when the going gets tough. That's international cricket and overcoming those obstacles and coming into your own I think is the challenge," he added.
Despite not setting the stage on fire in West Indies, the Indian opener managed to score a valuable fifty in the first innings of the second Test. Agarwal described the West Indies tour as a learning curve for him, while also heaping praise on Kemar Roach, who tormented the Indian batsmen throughout the entirety of the series.
"It was a learning curve about personal expectations, different conditions and situations we came across. We played with the Dukes ball, the conditions were hot and it was a great experience to face Kemar Roach, who bowled really well in the series," he said.
"After the series, they (West Indies players) were nice enough to invite us to their dressing room. We spoke to Roach, who gave us a lot of insight into cricket and his game," he added.
Agarwal also spoke highly of Team India's intensity on the field and lauded their champion attitude which sees them go into every session trying to win it. He also said that the team possesses immense self-belief and backs themselves to take the field and play to the best of their abilities.
"As a unit, the Indian team is playing at a very intense level. It is really amazing to see the intensity with which we play. We are going out there not only to win matches but win situations, win each session.
We understand that individual performances can go through highs and lows, but it is important to keep up the intensity with which we are playing. Also, we are a very confident unit. We believe in ourselves and are backing ourselves to play the best cricket we can," the 28-year-old said.
Interestingly, all four of Agarwal's Tests have been away from home, namely in Australia and West Indies. The Karnataka opener expressed his eagerness to play on home soil while also adding that he learnt a lot from his experiences away from home.
"Playing at home is always special and I'm really looking forward to the series. There was a lot I learnt in Australia, there was even more learning in the West Indies. I'm working on what I've learnt and I'm eager to go out and put those lessons to use against South Africa and have a good series at home," Agarwal signed off.
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