Mayank Agarwal Test average in India: The Indian opening batter has the best average among Indian batters in Tests played in India.
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During the third day of the second Test of the ongoing New Zealand’s tour of India in Mumbai, India opening batter Mayank Agarwal converted his start into a fifth Test half-century.
Resuming from his overnight score of 38*, Agarwal his his first boundary of the day off New Zealand pacer Tim Southee in only the second over. A few overs later, Agarwal stepped down the track to New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel to hit him over extra cover for a six and cross the 50-run mark for the second time in this match.
There is no hiding to the fact that a trademark of Agarwal’s fourth Test century earlier in the match was him playing the lofted shots against the spinners. Agarwal, who hit two more boundaries off Patel, ended up becoming his 11th victim of the match.
There is a fighter in Mayank Agarwal. Transformed himself from a T20 cricketer, broke the door down and forced selection into the test team, showed he can play long innings and now, produces the defining, decisive batting performance in a game where a team was bowled out for 62
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) December 5, 2021
Having copped a nasty blow on his wrist off Southee, Agarwal had received medical attention on a couple of occasions before he danced down the track in the 32nd over only to find New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra at long-off.
Mayank Agarwal Test average in India
Had Agarwal transformed his half-century in the second innings into his fifth Test century, it would have powered him to join an elite club of players who’ve scored centuries in both innings of a Test match.
While it would have been the 87th such occasion in Test cricket, Agarwal would’ve become the seventh Indian batter to do so after Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar (thrice), Rahul Dravid (twice), Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma.
Agarwal might have missed out on this record but he sure has earned another accolade on the back of scoring 62 (108) with the help of nine fours and a six at the Wankhede Stadium today.
It is worth mentioning that Agarwal now has the highest batting average among Indian batters who have scored a minimum of 500 runs in Tests played in India. In seven Tests at home, Agarwal has amassed 839 runs at an average of 83.90 including four centuries and a half-century.
Rohit Sharma, who has opened the batting with Agarwal in the past, is second on the list with his 1,670 runs in 18 Tests at home coming at an average of 79.52 and comprising of seven centuries and six half-centuries. The next on the list among Indian batters are Hazare (1,113 runs at 69.56), Virat Kohli (3,730 runs at 63.22) and Mohammed Azharuddin (3,412 at 55.93).
Agarwal, who has the sixth-highest batting average in Tests played in India, is behind the likes of former cricketers such as West Indies’ Jimmy Adams (520 runs at 173.33), Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower (820 runs at 117.14), England’s Everton Weekes (779 runs at 111.28), West Indies’ Sir Garry Sobers (899 runs at 99.88) and England’s Ken Barrington (674 runs at 96.28).
