Xtra Time Web Desk : Under pressure to prove his worth, Mayank Agarwal made the best statement possible with a superb hundred as India recovered from a sudden top-order collapse to reach 221 for 4 in two extended opening day sessions against New Zealand in the second Test at Wankhede stadium on Friday.
Agarwal (120 batting, 246 balls), who is all but certain to sit out once Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul come back during the next series against South Africa.
The Indian openers put up a decent show as they scored 80 runs for the first wicket partnership before Shubman Gill was dismissed by the star of the day for the Kiwis, Ajaz Patel. He then sent back Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli in quick succession before dismissing Shreyas Iyer for the score of 18. But it was Mayank Agarwal’s unbeaten knock of 120* that helped India to reach 221 for the loss four wickets at stumps with wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha keeping him company on 25*.
Mumbai-born Ajaz Patel, whose parents immigrated to New Zealand in 1996, picked up all four wickets on a track aiding the spinners to finish with figures of four for 73. After the first session was wiped out due to a wet outfield, Agarwal and Shubman Gill gave their side a solid start with an opening stand of 80 following captain Virat Kohli’s decision to bat having winning the toss.
Patel gave New Zealand the breakthrough by dismissing Gill for 44 when the batter edged a delivery to the lone slip. The 33-year-old Patel returned in his next over to dismiss Cheteshwar Pujara and Kohli before they had opened their accounts, much to the disappointment of the few hundreds present at the Wankhede.
Virat Kohli, who returned to the side to lead India after being rested for the three-match T20 series and the first test in Kanpur, reviewed the leg before wicket decision unsuccessfully and trudged off after a chat with the on-field umpires. Television replays were inconclusive in showing if he had hit the ball before Patel’s delivery struck his pad.
From 80 for no loss, India were reduced to 80-3 and it was left to Agarwal and Shreyas Iyer, who made a dream test debut in Kanpur with a first-innings 105 followed by a crucial 65 in the second, to launch the fightback for India.
The Shreyas-Mayank duo added 80 runs for the fourth wicket to rebuild the innings before Iyer fell on 18 to become Patel’s fourth scalp of the day. The dismissal brought Agarwal and Wriddhiman Saha to bat together which then nullified New Zealand’s bowling attack for the rest of the day with an unbroken partnership of 61.
A square-driven four off seamer Daryl Mitchell took Agarwal to a brilliant ton and the 30-year-old leapt and punched the air to celebrate his first test hundred since he scored a career-best 243 against Bangladesh in 2019. The right-handed batter hit 14 fours and four sixes in his knock.
Both sides were dealt injury blows before the test with the tourists losing captain Kane Williamson to an elbow problem while the hosts lost Ajinkya Rahane, who led the side in Kanpur in Kohli’s absence, Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant Sharma.