“Indian Domestic Cricket Challenges You In Every Sense”: Mayank Agarwal To NDTV | Cricket News

Mayank Agarwal was one of the stars of the Mumbai Test as India thrashed New Zealand by 372 runs to win the two-match series 1-0. Mayank scored a century and a fifty in Mumbai as India prepared for the upcoming Test series in South Africa in the best possible manner. NDTV’s Rica Roy caught up with Mayank following his Mumbai Test heroics as the Indian batter opened up on a range issues, including his performance in the recently-concluded series, life in bio bubbles, the upcoming South Africa tour, domestic cricket, among other topics.

Excerpts below:

I was browsing through your Twitter feed. And what really stood out for me was a very lovely picture of you, perhaps in Durham, in front of a wall that had a writing saying that only you write your next page. What do you wish to be written in your next page?

There are a lot of things that I wish for. You know, I don’t really actually say them out loud. But yes, that was that was something that I was crossing a cross and so on. And I thought it was very nice writing.

Has it all sunk in — a 150, followed by a 62? You must be in a real high.

I feel really happy that I could contribute to the team’s win. It was a really happy moment; extremely happy with the way I’ve performed and happy the way I’m batting. But that’s gone now. And I am looking ahead for the South Africa challenge.

How long did the celebrations last?

With the Indian team, it felt really nice. Everyone was there, everyone congratulated, that’s a team environment we have. All of us feel extremely happy for each other’s success and everyone’s backing each other. As a unit, we know that not everyone’s going to have a good game. Then when I when I went back, obviously being in a bubble, you can’t really meet your family. So I just called them up and spoke to them on the video call, which was nice.

Many experts and fans say the reason you got where you got is because of your years of spending time in domestic cricket, and how used you are to playing on these pitches. Could you tell us about a little bit about that?

When you play the Indian domestic system, it is a great place to play in; it challenges you in in every sense. India is such a diverse country; you play in different parts of different parts of the country and you get to face different conditions. That really tests you and builds you as a player. So, those many years of hard work and time spent in domestic cricket has really come to us. In India, we all know for a fact that there is so much competition. So my hunger for big runs also comes from the fact that every other person is getting 100. So, if you have to separate yourself from from other cricketers in the domestic circuit, you have to make sure that you get big runs. So that’s something that I’ve carried through with me to international cricket.

In management terms, they always say that having that extra skill that is different from the others gives you the edge — the hip pocket skill. What would you say is your hip pocket skill?

I would say energy and attitude is something that I pride myself on. I always look to be positive. And I always try to add to the team’s environment or add to the environment wherever I’m going.

Tell us about your plan of negating the Kiwi spin.

They were bowling in really good areas. Ajaz Patel was there and he was asking those tough questions. So, it was a bit sticky on the first day morning. It was just waiting, trying to get to understand the wicket a lot better see how it’s playing, to actually just be patient to let the moisture dry. And once that happened, it got a little better to bat on. And then the idea was to put a little pressure on them whenever they tossed the ball a little too high or gave a loose ball. The thought was to put them under pressure because if you’re playing on a track like that and you keep defending or if you’re not able to put back the pressure on the bowlers, then they will they will pull those good deliveries and you’re going to find it really hard. So, the thought was that we have to respect the good deliveries, but also to try and put some sort of pressure back on them. So that it makes them make a few more mistakes.

Mayank, would you say that this 100 is all the more special because it came in a Test match that is also going to talked about in the future for Ajaz Patel’s tenfer because only thrice in the history of the game something like that has happened.

To be honest, I think this this Test match belongs to him. getting 10 wickets in an innings is stuff of dreams. If you can actually plan for something like that, credit to him, congratulations to him. You know the amount of overs he bowled to get that and the consistency at which he bowled in those tough areas was phenomenal. And now he deserves all the credit and deserves all the praise.

And for you, for the hundreds you’ve already notched up in your career, is this at the top and if it is at the top, why?

To be honest, I’m not big on comparison. But yes, I would definitely say that this innings was a lot of grit, determination and a lot of resilience and fight. So I’m really happy with the performances that I put out and the attitude and the mental discipline that I played with.

In Australia, we saw a lot of drop in pitches, but in South Africa, that probably won’t be the case. Does the plan for a batsman like you change?

You don’t have to make too many changes. The plan is to try and keep things simple, not over-complicate them. It is going to be important that when we reach there, we figure out what the conditions are, understand the conditions and make a plan that can probably help us succeed there.

How has bubble life been like?

You are basically stuffed in a house with competitors. You know the Indian team, we have a very family environment. It’s a very nice environment, everyone’s helping each other out. We’re all there for each other, we feel very happy for each other’s success. That said, bubble life is hard because it can get a little monotonous. But I think we’re all grateful that even in these times, we have an opportunity to play the sport.

But what do you do? Do you talk to mental trainers? Do you talk to psychologists to keep yourself motivated day in and day out?

For me, it’s more about creating a routine. If that can be done, then you can repeat those things day in and day out. But then, staying with the Indian team, we have a lot of fun together. Many of us have dinners together, so it’s nice and fun.

In the UAE, you were able to get out and go to the desert as well. So, was that a controlled bubble which allowed you to go out a little bit?

No, actually that was after the IPL had ended for Punjab kings. So we got some time off. Since we were stuck in a bubble, it was good to get some time off and explore.

What about now? Are you getting to go home before you travel to South Africa?

Yes, we are at we are at home now. It’s great that that between series we could find some time to come back home, spend some time with family and then and then go ahead.

In the IPL, we saw you captain Punjab Kings in a match you also got 90 runs. Your thoughts on captaincy and whether you could get that role going forward?

I really enjoyed the one game that I had a chance to captain. It’s not really my call but it’s a responsibility that I think I will quite enjoy. And we haven’t spoken about it yet. But yes, I’m really looking forward to playing for Punjab again. Being retained is a nice feeling.Having played for Punjab for four years, it feels nice to be representing the franchise again.

You’ve played for Punjab for four years now you’ve played for other franchises. How different is it playing for Punjab and what makes you such a supreme performer for them?

It’s a very nice environment in Punjab. I’ve quite enjoyed that. Obviously, playing the IPL and being part of the IPL is a big thing. So, as a professional, wherever you get picked you want to go out there and give your best. And when you give your professional performances and the team recognises that and retains you, it’s a very nice feeling.

The modern day cricketer plays three formats. Do you think there is a genuine difference in batting in three formats? Would you say things change when you play three formats of the game?

Oh, definitely. There is there is a big difference in in the three formats.
I think when it comes to basics, they remain the same. But the execution, planning and the amount of risks you take changes from format to format. It’s just more about improvisation as a format gets shorter and shorter.

As players, when you come into your team, whether it’s the Indian cricket team or the IPL team, you are finished products. Now when there is a new coach coming in, what is his role? Is it more of a man-manager than a technical expert? Like Raul Dravid, who has just come in. What do you think? And do you look up to Rahul Dravid?

Definitely, he’s somebody who has played the game for such a long time. He is a stalwart, so it is very nice to pick his brain to understand and get his perspective how he’s seeing certain things, how he is reading the game. And how differently are we reading the game to him. He is somebody who is always willing to help. Him being part of the Indian team is great; we have a great rapport with him. And he’s somebody that all of us go and speak to in trying to help understand our games better. He’s always there to help technically, or even mentally.

Promoted

Looking at the South African squad, it appeared to me, you may correct me if I’m wrong, that they come across as a great limited overs team, and not so much as a Test team. Do you think that having played most of them in the IPL, it will be easier for the Indian cricket team to negotiate the bowlers or even for the bowlers to face the batsmen during the Test series?

To be honest, no, as a team, we respect every team we aren’t getting too ahead of ourselves in trying to think of their strength, what are they going to come up with, are they good, are they not good. Obviously, every team in the international circuit is a good team, we respect that. And we are looking to play to our strengths. And that said, as a Test team, we have been doing exceedingly well. Now having won in Australia twice, being 2-1 up against England in England is great. The kind of performances that we have put going abroad is something that we really pride ourselves on. And we look forward to just doing our best.