Indian star batsman Mayank Agarwal has now become a familiar name at the international stage as well as he has been making way to record books with his consistent show in the Test cricket and legendary batsman Rahul Dravid has his own share in the Karnataka batsman’s rise.
However, the right-hander had to wait too long to get into the international arena despite scoring consistent runs for Karnataka in the domestic circuit and India A.
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Well, Agarwal’s big moment had finally come in the 2018 Boxing Day Test against Australia, as the Karnataka batsman started off his international career with a fighting 76 against a high-quality Australian bowling attack at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during the 2018/19 series.
Since then, he never looked back, scoring 974 runs at an average of 57.29 with two double hundreds and three centuries and he is now No. 11 batsman in the ICC Test rankings.
Recently, Agarwal revealed that Dravid’s motivating words helped him keep his head straight and away from negative thoughts in his quest to make his long-awaited Test debut when he was not getting India call-up despite brilliant show in domestic cricket.
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Agarwal told Sanjay Manjrekar in a video uploaded on ESPNcricinfo website: “I was getting runs you know. I got massive runs that Ranji Trophy season and for India A. I did have a word with Rahul Bhai. I told him I was getting thoughts of sometimes not getting picked.”
He further explained, “I very clearly remember him telling me 'Mayank these are the things that are in your hands. You have worked hard; you have gotten here. You are as close as you can get. Selection is not in your hands'. And I totally agreed with him.
Theoretically, you understand that but practically it's not easy. But he put forth a few things - 'What is to say that the coming October and November is not going to be different from September. If you think otherwise you will get into a negative mind frame it's you who is going to lose out and nobody else'. So, I remembered that talk, and that kept me going.”
Mayank also revealed that he called the India A head coach Dravid when he got the maiden call-up to India team for the Australia Tests and thanked him for his words that kept him going.
He signed off by saying, “When I got the call I was elated and I called him up and thanked him. I didn't think that if I am going to play or not but I was just happy to be part of the Indian team.”
(With PTI Inputs)
