New Zealand vs India 2020: Mayank Agarwal has the clarity of mind an opening batsman needs, states Gautam Gambhir

India are set to play a two-match Test series against New Zealand which begins from February 21 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. Ahead of the first Test, former Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir reaffirmed his faith in opener Mayank Agarwal, stating that the 29-year-old has the clarity of mind an opening batsman requires.

"I have a lot of faith in Mayank Agarwal. He may not be the most gifted going around but he is certainly the most organised," Gambhir wrote in his column for TOI.

"He will not treat bowlers with disdain like Virender Sehwag or a David Warner did but has the clarity of mind of an opening batsman," he further added.

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Agarwal will have a new opening partner in either Prithvi Shaw or Shubman Gill. While Shaw scored a century on his Test debut against West Indies, Gill has been in excellent form of late, with a double hundred and a hundred to his name against New Zealand A.

"We will have a new pair opening the batting for India. It will interesting to see how Prithvi Shaw or Shubhman Gill react to opportunities as and when they get," Gambhir wrote.

Cricketers often face a lot of criticism for their performances and are subject to ridicule for their failures. But Gambhir was relieved by the fact that Virat Kohli and his team do not pay attention to the external factors and believe in focusing on the process.

"Getting into the Test series, I don’t expect overnight changes in the way the outside world reacts to reversals but I am glad that Virat Kohli’s team looks pretty much protected from these assessments," he signed off.