IND vs SL: You Know That Your Place Is Not Secure When KL Rahul Comes Back: Gautam Gambhir To Mayank Agarwal

Former Indian player Gautam Gambhir said Mayank Agarwal would be disappointed with his recent performance against Sri Lanka in Test cricket.

Agarwal opened the innings with India’s new Test skipper Rohit Sharma against Sri Lanka in the first Test at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali. The Indian openers stitch 52 -run stand before Rohit was caught by Suranga Lakmal near fine leg after the batter attempted to play a pull shot off Lahiru Kumara’s bowling.

IND vs SL: Mayank Agarwal made 33 vs SL in the first innings

Agarwal scored 33 off 49 balls but couldn’t convert his innings into a big score as he was trapped before the wicket by Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya in the 19th over of the first session.

Mayank Agarwal will be obviously disappointed with his innings: Gautam Gambhir

Agarwal’s Karnataka teammate KL Rahul is currently unavailable for the Test series against Sri Lanka as he is recovering from an upper left hamstring strain, he sustained during India’s ODI series against West Indies. Agarwal was picked ahead of youngster Shubman Gill for the first Test.

Agarwal scored just 135 runs from three Tests against South Africa as he opened the innings with Rahul in the absence of an injured Rohit. Gambhir said Mayank should score enough runs as he might lose his spot in the Indian side once KL Rahul returns.

“Apart from Lasith Embuldeniya and Lahiru Kumara, there were not too many bowlers who could threaten Mayank, especially at the start of the innings.

“So, he’ll be obviously disappointed. He could’ve gone on to make a big one. You know that your place is not secure when KL Rahul comes back. So, all you can do is score as many runs as you can,” Gambhir said on Star Sports. 

India ended Day 1 at 357 for six wickets down as Rishabh Pant blasted 96 runs with nine fours and four sixes. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (45) is batting along with his spin bowling partner Ravichandran Ashwin (10).

Also Read: IND vs SL: Mayank Agarwal Has Failed To Show That Much Consistency With The Bat, Says Parthiv Patel