Overwhelmed by the comparisons with Virender Sehwag after his 'dream debut' in Australia, Mayank Agarwal says he will be happy if he could do even half of what the former India opener achieved in his illustrious career.
Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar and his personal coach Irfan Sait are among those who feel that "there is a little bit of Sehwag" in Agarwal, who drew the flattering comparison with his aggressive style of play.
Drafted into the squad in the middle of a well-poised series, the 27-year-old rose to the occasion with a 77, 76 and 42 in Melbourne and Sydney, playing a crucial hand in India's maiden Test series triumph Down Under.
"Honestly, I am not a fan of comparisons but he is one of the greats of Indian cricket. I just like to go in the middle, give my best and see what comes out of it. Having said that, if I could do even half of what he (Sehwag) did, I will be happy, the
Asked about his mind-set going into the Melbourne game, Agarwal said, "I was very excited that I have been called to represent India in Australia in a well poised series. My thought was I want to be a part of the action than sit out. When I got the call from the selectors, I was very excited. It is a big moment for any cricketer, more so if you do that in MCG on Boxing Day."
"Playing in New Zealand did help a lot. It was a tremendous learning experience. The conditions weren't same but similar to Australia. There was a lot of pace in the wickets and New Zealand A had international bowlers in their line-up. So, it was good that I got to play there before the Australia series."
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