India vs Windies: Murali Kartik wants Mayank Agarwal to make his debut in the second Test

The first Test between India and Windies got over inside three days in Rajkot and it felt like a complete mismatch as the hosts annihilated their opponents by mammoth innings and 272 runs to take a 1-0 lead. The former India spinner Murali Kartik believes Mayank Agarwal, who is in a good form in domestic cricket and eventually got his maiden India call this series, should be handed a debut in the second and final Test in Hyderabad.

Kartik was of the opinion that Agarwal should be tested in international cricket before India heads to Australia and given the strength of the Windies side, it will not be risky to rest Virat Kohli. The skipper slammed his 24th Test ton after returning from a break. He was rested for the Asia Cup held in the UAE last month after a gruelling series in England in which the in-form batsman belted 593 runs in five Tests.

India should look for players against Australia

“That [playing Agarwal] was something that I was thinking about. You should look at what you’re trying to get from this series. You’re looking for players for Australia. Did Virat Kohli have to play? You can possibly win this Test series without Virat Kohli. The way he was rested for Asia Cup,” Murali Karthik said in the post-match analysis to Star Sports India.

Agarwal, the 27-year-old batsman who has been in a supreme touch at the moment and also hit 90 against the Windies in the warm-up game ahead of the first Test, did not get to play in Rajkot as his India ‘A’ opening partner Prithvi Shaw got the nod.

However, the other opener KL Rahul fell for no score in the game in which almost all Indian batsmen flourished and that could also open the door for Agarwal. Rahul had a poor series in England until the second innings of the fifth Test in which he hit a century to keep his chances of re-selection alive.

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