Puzzling: Mayank Agarwal takes on 'dead-balls' in batting practice drill

Mayank Agarwal had come up with a strange but out of the box batting practice ahead of the upcoming Test series against New Zealand. Agarwal has been one of India's most reliable Test openers ever since he first burst onto the scene in December 2018 Down Under and a lot will be expected from the youngster as the top-ranked Test side look to dominate the ICC World Test Championship points table.

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Mayank Agarwal's out of the box batting practice

In a video that was posted recently, the Test opener was seen practicing in a unique manner. Team India's batting coach Vikram Rathour was seen throwing with bowling under-arm as Mayank drew the ball straight by being on the backfoot but also by making a good feet movement as well. The opening batsman was staying low in order to practice for the low bounce.

Watch the video here:

Mayank Agarwal has not had a good New Zealand tour so far. In his maiden ODI series, he failed to create an impression apart from the 32 that he had scored in the first match. Even in the three-day practice match against New Zealand XI, he was dismissed early as he could not see off the new ball or the first spell. However, he has managed to make amends to a certain extent as he remained unbeaten on 23 at the end of the day's play on Saturday. 

The two-match Test series

The two teams will now collide in the first of the two-match Test series from February 21 onwards. The match will be played at the Basin Reserve in Wellington and the action will commence at 4:00 AM IST. The series-deciding second Test match will then be played at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch between February 29 and March 4. The Test series will also form a part of the ongoing inaugural ICC World Test Championship where India are currently on top of the points table. However, it will be interesting to see whether Kohli & Co. can emulate their Test greatness overseas. 

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(Image Courtesy: AP)