ENG vs IND 2021 | Mayank Agarwal’s Test Career is Impressive: Deep Dasgupta Backs Karnataka Batsman to Replace Shubman Gill

Mayank Agarwal should be the number one contender to replace Shubman Gill, feels Deep Dasgupta.

New Delhi: Former Indian wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta has backed Mayank Agarwal to replace injured Shubman Gill in the upcoming five-match Test series against England. Dasgupta stated that Mayank Agarwal has had an impressive Test career and his vote will go to him to replace Gill.

Meanwhile, Shubman Gill has suffered a serious internal injury while training off the field. Thus, he is expected to miss the first few matches against England and he might return to India. On the other hand, Mayank Agarwal has had a decent start to his Test career. The Karnataka batsman could not deliver the goods in the first two Test matches against Australia and he was dropped from the third Test at Sydney.

Subsequently, he received his chance in the Gabba Test match but could not deliver the goods. Agarwal has scored 1052 runs in 14 Test matches at an average of 45.74. On the other hand, India also has the option of opening with KL Rahul. However, the flamboyant batsman last played a Test match back in August 2019 against West Indies.

“There are two straightforward options – Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul. My vote goes for Mayank Agarwal because, yes, he did have two or three bad performances but overall, I think his Test career has been really impressive – in India and especially overseas. For KL Rahul, see, he has opened or played in the top order throughout his life whether it’s for Karnataka or India in red-ball or white-ball cricket,” explained Dasgupta on his YouTube Channel.

The cricketer-turned-commentator further added: “But the way he has been playing white-ball cricket, his technique has changed a bit, he’s become more attacking. His attacking technique has improved but his defensive technique… he hasn’t paid that much attention to it. That’s why I feel that KL Rahul, as far as red-ball cricket is concerned, is a very good middle-order option.”

The first Test match against England will take place on August 4.