India is a country where one can find a cricket lover in every household and even the smallest achievement is celebrated like a festival. So, Indians got another reason to celebrate as Mayank Agarwal, Indian International cricketer hit his maiden Test hundred which later turned into double century on 2nd day of ongoing 1st Test between India and South Africa in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.
Mayank Anurag Agarwal who is a right-handed opening batsman and plays for Karnataka is surely fixing his position at the top of the Indian batting order in Tests with his remarkable performances. He made his international debut for the Indian cricket team on 26th December 2018 against Australia. He came under limelight due to his performances in the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy in 2008-09 and 2010 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. He also won the title “Man of the Series” in Karnataka Premier League in 2010.
He made 304 not out batting for Karnataka against Maharashtra and thus scored his maiden triple century in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy and within the same month, he also scored 1,000 runs in first-class cricket. With 1,160 runs he was the leading run-scorer in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy.
Domestic Career
His IPL career began in 2018, when he was bought by the Kings XI Punjab in the 2018 IPL auction. He managed to make 723 runs in eight matches in the 2017-18 Vijay Hazare Trophy and thus again emerged as the leading run-scorer. He scored 2,141 runs across all formats which is the highest total by any batsman in an Indian domestic season.
In 2018, he was awarded by BCCI with Madhavrao Scindia Award for the Highest Run-Scorer in Ranji Trophy.
International Career
He got a chance in September 2018 as he was named in India’s Test squad for their series against the West Indies but he did not play. He became a part of India’s Test squad in December 2018 for the series against Australia instead of Prithvi Shaw who was ruled out due to his injury. He scored 76 runs in his first innings at the Melbourne Cricket Ground which is the highest score by an Indian cricketer on a Test debut in Australia. Replacing Vijay Shankar, he was added to India’s squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
Now, after being run-scorer in maximum of the matches, he has managed to maintain his image of a run-scorer by scoring a maiden test hundred. Though, not only a hundred but 215 runs as India went into the tea break in a commanding position. Mayank Agarwal became the fourth Indian to convert his maiden Test century to a double hundred. Earlier only Dilip Sardesai, Vinod Kambli and Karun Nair were the ones to do so. After Virender Sehwag’s 239 against Sri Lanka in 2009-10 in Test Cricket, this was the first double century for an Indian opener.
It was a hard time for South Africa as it took around 82 overs to finally get a wicket in the first Test but until then Indians had already created their score of the 317-run stand. It was also the highest partnership for any wicket in Tests for India against South Africa and was India’s third-highest opening stand in all Test cricket.
Agarwal was eager to get a maiden Test hundred and could have also got his partner, Rohit Sharma out due to his eagerness. He managed his massive 215 runs off 371 balls which also allowed the hosts to declare their first innings at 502 for 7 in 136 overs.
It can be said that Day 1 was all about Rohit Sharma and Day 2 belonged to Mayank Agarwal. They started the 2nd day on 115 and 84 respectively which was 202 runs for no loss and later it got converted into a record-breaker with a 317-run stand before lunch. After Rohit got out, Agarwal managed to maintain his flow and got the first hundred at 204 balls and second off 154 balls. His amazing knock came to an end when Piedt took a diving catch. But India has managed to dominate the game.
It was a massive and remarkable maiden hundred which changed into double century by Mayank Agarwal and we wish to see more such centuries in future!
