Mayank Agarwal credits Rahul Dravid after his knock at SCG

What's the story?

Indian opener Mayank Agarwal has claimed that the wall of cricket, Rahul Dravid, has helped him manage his 'mental energies.' Although the Karnataka batsman threw his wicket away by playing a loose shot, he acknowledged his mistake and added that he will only thrive on them in the future.

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After a prolonged wait for a debut, Agarwal finally got his opportunity in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne due to a string of poor performances from the openers. The 27-year-old replicated the form he has displayed in the domestic circuit by threading innings' of 76 and 42 as India took a 2-1 lead in the ongoing series.

He picked up from where he had left off as a fast-paced knock of 77 put the number 1 Test side in a commanding position.

The heart of the matter

Despite seeing off the short-ball trick used by the Aussies and playing some exquisite strokes, Agarwal played a loose shot and eventually got caught at long on to Nathon Lyon, who was already hit for a six a couple of balls before the wicket.

Speaking of the wicket after the end of day 1, the opening batsman said, "I am quite disappointed for missing out on a big score. Disappointed that I threw my wicket. With that said, it's a learning curve. If I don't make this mistake again, then it will be a good learning."

Agarwal also credited the legendary Rahul Dravid for his batting prowess, explaining, "Playing under him (Dravid) is good, we as batsmen speak a lot to him about our game and technique. And he is out there to guide us and help us climb the ladder. His advice has been very, very helpful. He told to me particularly think how to manage my mental energies. And that's something that we've spoken about for four to six months. He's helped me go through that path."

What's next?

India ended Day 1 on 303-4, with Pujara and Hanuma Vihari batting on 130 and 39 respectively. Having gained a foothold heading into Day 2, Kohli and co. will be looking pile more misery on the Aussies by clinching the series.