Mayank Agarwal had a point to prove to the Indian selection committee after being ignored for the tri-series in Sri Lanka despite scoring more than 2000 runs in the first class season. He did so in some style, in front of the selectors, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record.
MSK Prasad and Sarandeep Singh were on their feet when Agarwal became the first Indian to score 700 runs in a list A tournament on his way to a breathtaking 90-run inning that bailed Karnataka out of trouble in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final against Karnataka in New Delhi.
Agarwal’s tally of 723 runs is now the highest by an Indian in any list A tournament, bettering Sachin Tendulkar’s World Cup tally of 673 runs in 2003.
Karnataka were reduced to five for 2, losing both captain Karun Nair and India opener KL Rahul for zero, when Agarwal showed immense maturity to anchor the innings on a pitch offering plenty to the medium pacers.
He first hit Jaydev Unadkat for two delightful cover drives in the fifth over to get going and then put his foot on the accelerator in the eighth over by slamming right-arm medium pacer Sanandia for successive fours.
There was no stopping Agarwal as he shifted the momentum of the match in a matter of few overs to push Saurashtra on the backfoot and reached his fifty in as many deliveries.
He fell just 10 runs short of of a well-deserved half-century, when he was out caught at long-off. Agarwal stitched a 136-run third wicket stand with R Samarth (48).
The Karnataka innings went through another slide after Agarwal’s departure, losing wickets in heap to off-spinner Kamlesh Makvana, who picked-up four wickets. Couple of needless run outs did not help their cause.
Middle order batsman Pavan Deshpande struck a 49 that enabled Karnataka to cross 250 but lack of application from the middle and lower order meant they were bowled out for 253 in 45.5 overs.