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Ashes heroics in the past for matured Agar

He starred on Test debut as a fresh-faced teenager but the left-arm spinner says he's a better player now than he was in the 2013 Ashes

He's grown from a teenager into a man, and spinner Ashton Agar is confident he now boasts the arsenal and mental strength needed to forge a successful Test career.

Agar was just 19 when he made a shock Test debut in the 2013 Ashes series in England, scoring a memorable 98 after coming in at No.11.

But he was dumped from the team one match later and, aside from a couple of extended squad call-ups, has been in the Test wilderness ever since.

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Agar narrowly missed out on earning a Test recall for the recent win over Pakistan at the SCG but will get another chance to force his way into the XI after being picked for the upcoming four-Test tour of India.

Agar was one of four specialist spinners in the 16-man squad, along with bolter Mitchell Swepson, Nathan Lyon and Steve O'Keefe.

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The left-hander knows he faces stiff competition to play, with Lyon and O'Keefe in the box seat to form a dual spin attack.

But Agar's confident he will be able to produce the goods if chosen, saying he has matured greatly since his Test debut.

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"I was 19 when that happened and probably didn't realise the significance of what it actually was," Agar said.

"But I think I'm in a better place to go into a Test series now than I was when I was 19, or even the last couple of years.

"Just to have a few games under my belt ... and not to be as flustered or as fazed by things that might happen.

"I think I've matured a lot as a player, both with my skills and mentally. So that holds me in good stead going into a tour like this."

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Agar has been to India about six times for various cricket tours and is confident he'll can thrive in the spin-friendly conditions.

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"It's just being patient, and bowling a bit quicker and into the wicket works at times," Agar said.

"You've got to be yourself.

"I need to do things my way. I need to be the best version of myself, not try to be a poor man's version of someone else who has done well over there."