On the day one of the ongoing Melbourne Test between Australia and India, the former Australian cricketer and the present commentator Kerry O’Keeffe ridiculed Mayank Agarwal’s maiden first-class triple-hundred by claiming that it came against “canteen staff”. Later, on the day two of the Test match, Kerry apologised for his earlier comments.

Indian opening batsman Mayank Agarwal has made his international cricket debut in the ongoing Melbourne Test. In the first innings of the game, Mayank scored 76 runs.

On the opening day of the Test match, the former Australian leg-spinner joked on Mayank’s batting ability and ridiculed his only first-class triple-century in November 2017.

Talking about the Karnataka batsman’s 304* knock against Maharashtra in the 2017/18 Ranji Trophy, Kerry said, “Apparently he got the triple against the Railways canteen staff.”

Kerry has been widely criticised for this comment. Later, the Indian head coach Ravi Shastri had a fitting reply for him.

Shastri told Fox Sports, “He [Mayank] has got a message for Kerry… ‘when you do open your canteen, he wants to come and smell the coffee. He wants to compare it to the ones back in India…coffee here’s better or the ones back home’.”

Mayank was the leading run-scorer in that season where he scored 1,160 runs with the average of 105.45. While Mayank’s first-class career average is just below 50 (49.98), another former Australian cricketer Mark Waugh claimed that the average likes 40 in Australia.

Waugh said, “his average in India is 50 which like 40 in Australia.”

On Thursday (December 27), the day two of the Melbourne Test, Kerry apologised for his comment. He called it was tongue in cheek.

Kerry said, “I was mentioning the runs Agarwal got in first-class cricket in India and there’s been a reaction. There was no way I was demeaning the standard, it was tongue in cheek. There are lots of runs scored so apologies if anyone out there took offence.”