Australia vs India 2018-19: 5 things we learnt from the Test series

#2 Mayank Agarwal and Rishabh Pant are here to stay

Mayank Agarwal

When Mayank Agarwal was omitted from the initial squad, there was a lot of disappointment in Indian cricket circles. Despite not getting a game in the earlier series, he was dropped from the side. But Prithvi Shaw’s injury opened the doors for him and he’s made the opportunity count.

Making his debut at the MCG on Boxing Day, Agarwal absorbed the pressure really well and struck a fine 76. In the second innings, when the top-order crumbled against Pat Cummins, he held fort and made a composed 42.

In the New Year’s Test, he once again gave India a good start as he scored a fluent 77 (missing out on a ton again). Moreover, he was excellent as a close-in fielder as he took a few smart and sharp catches. He seems to have settled the opening debate for a while now.

Rishabh Pant scored a fine hundred against England in the last Test and got a couple of 90s against the Windies. Consistency seemed to be an issue, but not anymore.

Batting at 7, Pant amassed 350 runs and emerged as the second highest run-getter of the series (he even beat Virat Kohli). He went past the 25-run mark in every innings as he had six scores between 25 and 39 in the first three Tests. But he struck a superb 159 in the last Test to cap off an excellent series.

Both Pant and Agarwal have shown they belong and are here to stay.