Karnataka and India A batsman Mayank Agarwal, who received his maiden international call-up for the two Tests against West Indies starting October 4, owes his ascension to the A set-up.
The side, coached by Rahul Dravid, had been on the road since June. The variety of bowling attack – England Lions, South Africa A, Australia A – fine-tuned the classy opener for the big stage.
“I am extremely happy and very excited [to be part of the senior team]. To be honest, selection isn’t under my control. I was happy with the way I was batting, I was scoring runs and there were lots of games. I was focusing on the present and looking to improve.
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“India A experience really helps as you get to play quality games in different conditions, and against different people,” Mayank told Sportstar on Sunday.
The 27-year-old scored 2,169 runs in 32 innings in the 2017-18 domestic season. The India cap took time. “Even Rahul bhai told me to do things that are under my control. He told me, ‘Mayank, keep working hard the way you are doing. It will bear fruit.”’
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Mayank is also looking forward to reuniting with old friend K.L. Rahul. “Having K.L. there is a good feeling. He has been around for a while and has been scoring runs. It will be nice to play with him,” he added.
Speaking of conversations with skipper Virat Kohli, Mayank pointed that he had played alongside Kohli in Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2012. “But this time, I haven’t had an interaction with him yet. I am not thinking too much. I want to take it day by day. West Indies is a quality side, and it is going to be a well-contested series,” he said.
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