Ashton Agar: 5 things you didn't know about the record-breaking Aussie

Ashton Agar has shot to the limelight with a record-breaking 98 on his debut — the highest score ever by a No 11 batsman in Test cricket history. Here are a few interesting facts about Australia’s latest cricketing sensation. - While there are a lot of cool things about Agar, it’s his Sri Lankan heritage that is grabbing the eyeballs, especially in the subcontinent. His grandfather Nala Hewawissa played cricket for Dharmarajah College, Kandy. His grandmother Sheilagh worked for the Ceylon Tea Board. Agar has sport in his blood — his father has played club cricket in Melbourne. Expect Sri Lankans to quickly attribute his natural spinning ability to his heritage! - The guy may be seen on the cricket field now, but he may well have swapped his whites for a lawyer’s cloak in the courtroom. Ashton wanted to become a lawyer and also qualified to study for the degree at Deakin University in Victoria. However, cricketing demands have laid that option on the back-burner. Not that he’s complaining. [caption id=“attachment_949603” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] The guy may be seen on the cricket field now, but he may well have swapped his whites for a lawyer’s cloak in the courtroom. AP[/caption] - Getting picked for Australia isn’t easy. Or is it? Agar was playing village cricket as early as May and only made his debut for Western Australia this year. It is well known that he was given an ‘internship’ on Australia’s tour of India (when India hammered them 4-0). However, something must have stood out in his as he was quickly added to the Australia A squad in June before being handed a shock debut by Darren Lehmann during the Ashes. It’s been a meteoric rise, if nothing else. - Have you ever seen Agar’s ancestors? Well, yes, everyday in the Bombay Times (or any other similar edition in your city - Ahmedabad Times and so on) in the comic strip. English tabloids were quick to lay the name ‘Agar the ‘Orrible’ on him — clearly in relation to beer-guzzling-lazy Hagar the Horrible. He’s also been called ‘Scotty’ due to his resemblance with Australian golfer Adam Scott and boring ‘Ash’ on the Cricket Australia website. - When Shane Warne bowled the ‘Ball of the Century’ to Mike Gatting, Agar wasn’t even born. Today, Warne is going to be part of the ICC Hall of Fame and Agar is the country’s poster-boy in the making. Isn’t just that interesting enough?