INDIA VS NEW ZEALAND: SHOULD MAYANK AGARWAL HAVE BEEN PICKED INSTEAD OF PRITHVI SHAW?

Shikhar Dhawan’s injury meant that Prithvi Shaw has been the lucky one to hop on for the New Zealand tour though a new report in the Hindustan Times has raised a question about Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill being more deserving to have been the replacement.

The report takes the aid of List A cricket statistics to drive home the point. As far as Test cricket is considered, Mayank has 3,909 runs at an average of 50.11, with a strike rate of 101.29 from 81 innings. Shubman has 2,234 runs at an average of 47.53, with a strike rate of 88 from 54 innings.

Compare this to Prithvi, who has 1,195 runs at an average of 44.25 with a strike rate of 117.85 from 27 innings. The report uses these stats to argue that Mayank and Shubman were more deserving to have been the replacement than Prithvi, though not undermining the latter for being a bundle of talent.

New Zealand will host India for 5 T20s, 3 ODIs and 2 Tests beginning on January 24.