The India opener scored a half-century in difficult conditions on the first day of the Jamaica Test

Aishwarya Kumar at Sabina Park31-Aug-20191:34

‘It was important for Virat and me to stitch a partnership’ – Mayank Agarwal

Mayank Agarwal edged a couple to the boundary in the 38th over, off Kemar Roach, the second four getting him to his third Test fifty in 117 balls. The edges and the eventual cut to slip that ended his innings were proof of the difficult batting conditions the Indians faced against West Indies at Sabina Park.Rahkeem Cornwall nonchalant about Test debut

The 26-year-old Antiguan not only made his Test debut today, but was involved in the first three wickets to fall. He dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara, reducing India to 46/2 after 17 overs. Plus, he took two stunning catches in the slips to dismiss KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal.
“It was a good feeling to get my first Test wicket. It was nothing really new to me, but it was a new feeling,” he said calmly at the press conference at the end of day’s play.
“The seamers put the ball in the right areas. When I saw the first ball come in [at slip] I just said I have to hold it and be confident and go from there.”
Cornwall wasn’t surprised that his debut came on a green pitch in Jamaica instead of the dry one in Antigua in the last Test. He simply said, “When I get the opportunity, I will bowl the ball in the right areas.”
Accustomed to bowling long spells in regional cricket, the offspinner got through 27 overs and gave away only 69 runs on a day that went largely okay for the hosts. “One [more] wicket would have been comfortable, but I think we are in a good position to bowl tomorrow and take the rest of the wickets.”

“[Conditions were] challenging. I thought the first session – the ball was doing a bit. Kemar Roach and [Jason] Holder bowled great areas. It wasn’t easy – there was a lot of moisture and the ball was doing a bit,” Agarwal said at the press conference afterwards.He also praised Holder, who ended the day with three wickets – those of himself, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. “I think Holder is bowling great areas, he is not giving you an inch. He is there pegging in those areas, pegging on length and short of length. And you know he doesn’t give free deliveries for you to score off of,” he said.”So, the pressure is always there even if you defend him off – the first spell he bowled six-seven overs in that he’s given three or four maidens, so as a batsman you know you’re not getting much out of him.”Agarwal faced some tough delivers from the offspinning debutant, the six-and-a-half-foot Rahkeem Cornwall, who claimed Cheteshwar Pujara as his maiden Test wicket.Mayank Agarwal acknowledges the claps from the dressing room•AFP”Rakheem is very, very [consistent], he forms good clusters and he keeps bowling those areas, keeps bowling those areas,” Agarwal said. “I thought it wasn’t very easy to score off him. We took our time and it was very important for Virat and me to actually get a partnership going and it was important that one of us went on to score big.”He definitely gets a lot more bounce compared to many other spinners. He just keeps hitting those lengths.”Speaking of his 69-run partnership with Kohli, Agarwal said the captain had batted beautifully to “negate the time before lunch and then to come out after lunch with that kind of positivity was amazing – he gets a lot of intensity when he comes to bat”.The conditions got steadily better as the day progressed and the sun beat down, Agarwal said. “I can say it got a little better to bat on after the first session – the wicket got a lot harder as the sun beat down – the wicket lost some of its moisture. It just kept getting a little better to bat on, but I think credit must be given to the West Indian bowlers, especially Roach and Holder – they kept coming and kept coming and kept bowling tight lines.”India ended the day at 264 for 5 with Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant in the middle. Agarwal said he was pleased with the team’s performance and the goal now would be to “pile on as many runs as possible”. “We are in a great position. To have just lost five wickets on a track like that was a good effort from our side.”