KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal - when best friends became Karnataka's first-ever opening pair in Test cricket

When Virat Kohli won the toss in the fourth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground and opted to bat, two friends in the Indian dressing room braced themselves as they were set to create history.

The moment was special on both personal and professional level for the two - KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal - who opened India's innings on Day One of the fourth and final Test in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar trophy. 

It was for the very first time that two Karnataka players opened India's batting in Test cricket. It was even more special because Rahul and Mayank were not only just two openers but also long-time best friends.

These two have always had contradicting fortunes in cricket ever since they became acquaintances and in no time great buddies. Back in 2013, while Rahul was dominating the domestic circuit for Karnataka with big hundreds, Mayank was the famous of the two, thanks to the fame that came with playing the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

In a year, Rahul made his Test debut, while Mayank was still struggling to cement his place in the Karnataka's Ranji Trophy side. Eventually, Mayank was dropped but he always had his friend, Rahul, beside him motivating him to fight harder. 

The duo dreamt together for playing for India and it was Mayank whose wait was longer. Rahul made his Test debut in 2014 before he took his first steps in the One-Day International (ODI) team in 2016. Rahul still remains only the second Indian to have scored two Twenty20 International (T20I) hundreds after Rohit Sharma, who has four to his name. 

However, since Rahul's 149 in England last year, he has not been able to deliver and give India the required starts. His next scores have read as -  0, 4, 33*, 2, 44, 2, 0, 9. Earlier this series, after a poor show in the first two Tests, Rahul was dropped and coincidentally, the player who replaced Rahul in the Indian team turned out to be his best friend, Mayank.

"Seeing my Best Friend getting his cap and debuting for the country makes me so happy and Proud today. Upwards and Onwards, my brother, you’re just getting started Monkus," a proud friend, Rahul, tweeted. 

It was just another contradicting fortune in cricket for the two. While Rahul has been fighting a black patch in his Test career, Mayank instantly grabbed the opportunity and registered scores of 76 and 42 in his Test debut at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. 

A twist in the destiny happened for these two in the next match and it was time for the moment they had waited for a long time. After Rohit Sharma left for India to attend his family, Kohli chose Rahul as his replacement and that meant, he would open India's innings with Mayank in Sydney. 

Last year, Rahul was kind of Mayank's best man, the guy who accompanied the groom to the chariot and then posted a selfie with an under-script: “Bromance boys. Lucky to have a friend like you.” From sharing the state dressing room to being each other's support systems during good and bad phases in life, Rahul and Mayank have come a long way and opening for India in a Test was just a milestone in their rock-solid bond. 

Unfortunately, their partnership lasted for just nine deliveries as Josh Hazlewood dismissed Rahul for the fourth time this series. Continuing his bad form, Rahul once again threw away his wicket while chasing an outside off delivery, which he should have ideally left. Since the start of 2018, Rahul apparently has opened 19 times and had made it beyond the 10th over on just seven occasions.

While Mayank has looked decent at the crease on Day one in Sydney, Rahul will need more introspection to find a solution for ending his poor run in Test cricket.