Mayank Agarwal got his eye in, in tough conditions, but was lured into the trap set by the Kiwis.
He ended up hooking against the wind and was soon walking back. “It [how to make best use of the wind while striking the ball] was something we discussed after I came back. You definitely want to be aware of the conditions,” he said.
Tricky
Still on the wind, Mayank said, “I think it is quite tricky since the wind blows at more than a decent speed. And you just have to make adjustments right there on the field.”
The conditions, he said, were such that a batsman never felt ‘in’.
“It’s not easy, especially on the first day, on this track. I thought they bowled good areas and they kept testing us. They didn’t give us anything loose. As a batsman, you never felt that you were completely ‘in’ because even after lunch it was doing a little bit.”
Pat for Jamieson
Talking about debutant paceman Kyle Jamieson, Mayank said, “I thought he bowled exceedingly well. He hit good areas and he got good bounce. The way he used the new ball was fantastic and he kept probing us. Since the wicket was soft, he was getting the extra kick as well.”
The Indian opener did not have a target total in mind.
He said: “To be honest, as much as we can make and as long as we can bat, it will be good. Ajinkya [Rahane] batted very well.”
