Thursday wasn’t a happy day for Ajit Agarkar. The India discard, who was playing for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy Super League Group A game against Himachal Pradesh, watched from the dressing room as his team-mates failed to prevent the hosts from securing a draw. Mumbai’s most experienced medium-pacer was laid low due to a groin strain.

It has been that kind of season for Agarkar, where nothing has gone the way he would have wanted to. Dropped from the national side since that “one bad over” in the World T20 game against Pakistan, Agarkar has struggled to do what he has done all along his international career – pick up wickets by the heaps in domestic cricket and force his way back in.

The big loss for Agarkar, in a forgettable year for him, has been the exclusion from the Test squad that is currently touring Australia, a place where he has bowled well. “It is disappointing to miss out. I have enjoyed playing there, and have done well there. It’s a special place to play cricket. The value that you get for playing good cricket there is tremendous,” Agarkar told TOI. With 27 wickets in seven Tests Down Under and having bowled India to a historic win in the Adelaide Test on the last tour Down Under, Agarkar can say that.