'That 100 was on a platter for him': Laxman feels India star missed 'great opportunity' to be in contention for SA tour

The South Africa tour which will begin from December 26 with the three-Test series.

Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman feels that opener Mayank Agarwal missed out an a "great opportunity" to remain part of the competition for the opening slot for the impending Test series in South Africa later in December this year.

VVS Laxman (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

Mayank scored an impressive and gutsy 150 in the first innings of the second Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to single-handedly carry India to 325 amid the Ajaz Patel's historic 10-wicket haul. Mayank continued his form to score an aggressive 62 in the second innings, laced with nine boundaries and a six and looked well set for a second ton which would have made him the seventh India with a twin ton in a Test match, but was denied the feat by Ajaz.

Although praising his dominating innings and his mindset against the left-arm spinner, Laxman, in conversation with Star Sports, admitted that Mayank would have loved to score that century to stay in contention for the opening slot in the South Africa Test series where he will be vying for the spot alongside KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.

"He was fantastic and sensational in the first innings. His footwork, his mindset and he batted with his natural instinct. It was a great opportunity for him to get to that hundred. But he would be disappointed. He spoke about the competition for the opening spot. You got two established openers in Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul. Shubman Gill will probably be the fourth in that order in the moment. The best way to be part of the competition is to score heavily. He has done that in the first innings, dominated in the second innings, but could not execute that shot perfectly. There was a fielder in the deep, but he backed himself to clear the fielder and the rope, but couldn't. He would have loved to get one more hundred which was probably on a platter for him," he said.

Rohit was rested from the Test series against New Zealand owing to workload management while Rahul was ruled out from the series with an injury and Suryakumar Yadav was named as his replacement.

Mayank returned with scores of 13 and 17 in the first Test which added to his strong of poor figures since 2020. It only added to his uncertainity for retaining his place in the XI for the Mumbai game.

However, Mayank scored a brilliant 150, his fourth century in Test career, all scored at home and first since his 243 against Bangladesh in 2019.

Mayank will now await his fate for the South Africa tour which will begin from December 26 with the three-Test series. Rahul and Rohit will both return for the crucial overseas tour.