Mayank Agarwal Is The Most Attacking Batter Against Spin I Have Seen Since Virender Sehwag - Sanjay Bangar

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar heaped rich praises for Mayank Agarwal after the opener struck his fourth Test ton on Friday in Mumbai against New Zealand. Bangar also compared Mayank Agarwal’s spin game to the legendary opener Virender Sehwag.

The right-hander took down Ajaz Patel, New Zealand’s best spinner on the day, for three sixes on Day 1. He often used his feet against Patel and other Kiwi spinners to keep throwing them off their lengths, which he would also capitalize on whenever any spinner dropped short of went too full.

Sanjay Bangar said that Mayank Agarwal is the most attacking Indian batter against spin since Sehwag.

“In my opinion, Mayank Agarwal is the most attacking batter against spin I have seen since Virender Sehwag for India in Test cricket,” Sanjay Bangar told Star Sports.

“Everyone says that he steps out and plays the aerial shots well and targets the straighter boundaries. But there was one special thing seen in this knock and it was also because of the extra bounce, that he played so many shots off the back foot. He played very good pull shots when the ball was slightly back of length.”

Mayank Agarwal left a lot of deliveries from New Zealand seamers: Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra pointed out that it was Mayank Agarwal’s patience against Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson which allowed him to settle in to take on the spinners.

Mayank Agarwal had been more conscious at leaving balls in Mumbai than in the first Test in Kanpur. He was astute in handling the New Zealand pacers and respected them with plenty of leaves and defensive shots, before the opportunities to score arrived against the spinners.

“The start is the most difficult, although he has hit spin the most. One thing is that you know that there is pressure on your spot and there is swing and bounce at the start, sideways movement and there are seeds of doubt in your mind and it was necessary to play well to get out of that,” Aakash Chopra stated.

“He left a lot of deliveries, played close to the body as well and because of that, he became capable to get into a situation from where he could dominate spin. But if you are an opener and you don’t play pace well, the story of spin does not come, it did not come in the last match,” he added.

India’s hopes of crossing 300 and beyond lay on Mayank Agarwal’s shoulders.

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