INDORE
: Everyone has their own journey in life. Some get success early, while others have to work harder.
Mayank Agarwal belongs to the second category. For him, nothing comes easy. He had to work very hard and wait patiently for his chances. Now, the 28-year-old has started to get the richly-deserved attention.
Agarwal received a standing ovation from every corner of the
Holkar stadium
on Friday. The Indian opener did what he had been doing since the 2017-18 season, being patient, waiting for his chance, and grabbing them gleefully when the time came.
"My journey is not going to be the same as someone else's. I don't like comparing two people's journey. Somebody's chance might come quickly and somebody might get a chance late. It is important to understand the things that are in my control," Agarwal said.
While he might not have had luck early on his career, lady luck is firmly behind him now. He was dropped on 32 by
Imrul Kayes on Thursday. An LBW decision got overturned when he was given out on 82. "I was thinking that if I have got a chance, I have got to make them pay. When you get let off, you make sure that you make them pay," he said.
"There had been times when I have not got runs. So I must respect the game and that I am batting well. When I am doing that, I have to make sure that I make it big and put the team in the driver's seat," he said.
Asked about the shot selection, Agarwal explained, "I think it goes down to gameplan. Who you are feeling comfortable against and who you want to attack, then picking the right balls. It's about understanding, okay, this is the bowler I am playing well today and this is the ball that I can go after. Pick those balls and then have mental discipline to build your innings," he said.
On skipper
Virat Kohli's signal to go for a triple hundred, he said, "I could have played longer. The captain was backing you and he wanted the best for me. That is a big thing."