ICC Player Of The Month Award: Mayank Agarwal, Ajaz Patel, Mitchell Starc nominated

India
opening
batter
Mayank
Agarwal,
Australia
pacer
Mitchell
Starc
and
New
Zealand
spinner
Ajaz
Patel
have
been
nominated
for
the
accolade.

With
regular
openers
Rohit
Sharma,
Shubman
Gill
and
KL
Rahul
all
missing
games
at
some
point
last
month,
Mayank
Agarwal
grabbed
the
opportunity
with
both
hands
in
the
series
against
New
Zealand
and
South
Africa.

In
the
two
matches,
he
scored
276
runs
at
an
average
of
69.00,
which
included
two
fifties
and
a
century.

Ajaz
Patel’s
name
was
immortalised
in
cricketing
history
in
December,
when
he
picked
up
10
wickets
in
an
innings
against
India,
becoming
the
third
player
in
Tests
to
achieve
the
feat
after
Jim
Laker
and
Anil
Kumble.

The
left-arm
spinner
played
just
one
Test
in
the
month,
where
he
picked
up
14
wickets
at
an
average
of
16.07.

He
picked
up
all
10
wickets
in
the
first
innings
but
was
disappointed
by
the
Kiwi
batters
who
were
bundled
out
for
62.

Mitchell
Starc
has
played
a
vital
role,
both
with
the
bat
and
ball
in
hand,
in
Australia
retaining
the
Ashes
with
two
games
to
spare.

In
the
three
games
last
month,
he
picked
up
14
wickets
at
an
average
of
19.64
and
was
more
than
handy
with
the
bat,
scoring
117
runs
in
the
three
matches
at
an
average
of
58.50.

He
set
the
tone
for
the
whole
series
by
dismissing
Rory
Burns
with
the
first
ball
of
the
first
Test.
While
batting,
he
kept
Travis
Head
company
with
an
innings
of
35
and
added
85
crucial
runs
for
the
eighth
wicket.

Starc
was
magnificent
with
the
bat
and
ball
in
the
second
Test,
picking
up
six
wickets
and
scoring
58
runs
in
Adelaide.

This
included
a
brilliant
four-wicket
haul
in
the
first
innings
that
helped
reduce
England
to
236,
giving
Australia
a
massive
lead
of
237
runs.

In
the
Boxing
Day
Test,
Starc
picked
two
crucial
wickets
in
the
first
innings,
including
that
of
England’s
captain
Joe
Root.

His
innings
of
24
helped
Australia
gain
an
82-run
lead,
which
proved
to
be
enough
as
England
were
bundled
out
for
68.
He
picked
up
three
wickets
in
the
second
innings
as
Australia
won
by
an
innings
to
retain
the
urn.