Brilliant batting from the No. 11 batsmen of Australia has made the English Summer much warmer. Ashton Agar played a stupendous knock of 98 runs to see his side take a lead of 65 runs after the end of their first innings on Thursday at Nottingham. Every single member of the Aussie squad was having a smile on his face after the job this 19-year-old did for his country. He stitched a beautiful as well as World Record partnership of 163 runs with Philip Hughes who remained unbeaten on 81 runs after the end of Australian innings at 280.
Having a dream always pushes anyone quite hard to go that extra mile and the same was the case with Agar who had a dream of scoring a Test Hundred. Though he didn’t get it, he was looking quite satisfied with his batting performance, especially when the Aussie middle-order was done and dusted by the James Anderson and Graeme Swann with some magnificent bowling. He did manage to survive the controversial decision of stumping when he was batting at six and went onto rip apart the English bowling unit.
He was quoted by The Times of India saying, "It was a dream to make a test match hundred. But I didn't really dream I'd make 98, so I'm very happy. I'm super happy. I was lucky to have a very good partner at the other end to help me, he's a seriously, seriously good player."
His spot in the playing eleven was in itself a bigger surprise because of the likes of Nathan Lyon already in the squad. But that didn’t let his morale down, especially after the not so impressive bowling from him in the first innings of the match. He would swap a test hundred for a five-wicket haul.
The Southpaw was quoted by The Hindu saying, "I'd take either one but I didn't get the hundred so I'd take the five-for now. I've been called into the side to take wickets and I'm still very, very hungry for that first wicket. I see myself as a bowling all-rounder."
Agar was caught on the boundary by Swann, but even England's supporters were disappointed and Agar admitted he hadn't expected the standing ovation he was given.
"I was surprised, yes. I probably hit it a bit too well. All the other balls I'd hit over the top so I tried to come down a little bit and I picked him out perfectly."