Oz hail new hero Agar

The name “Agar” was trending on Twitter. Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan admitted even he was cheering for an Aussie.

And one respected India-based commentator said it helped him fall in love with cricket all over again.

Yes, 19-year-old Ashton Agar’s defiant 98 in his Test debut brought out all the superlatives, nearly matching the long list of records he set in the first Ashes Test on Thursday.

The clock was ticking a few minutes before midnight and a new day Friday on Australia’s east coast when Agar fell two runs short of a century.

No matter. The youngster was immediately hailed a hero, featured as the lead item on all breakfast television programs in a country where all-encompassing sporting accomplishments lately have been as rare as rain in the Outback.

There was no question Agar saved the day for Australia at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. Agar made the highest score by a No. 11 batsman in a record last-wicket stand of 163 with Phillip Hughes (81 not out) as Australia recovered from 117-9 to 280 all out for a first-innings lead of 65. England ended the second day at 80-2 for a lead of 15 runs.

The previous best for a No. 11 batsman was Tino Best’s 95 for the West Indies against England last year.

“I’m feeling your pain lad ... Records are to be broken,” Best tweeted. “Must say we number 11 batters, in Agar and myself, love this English bowling attack.”

The once all-powerful Australian cricket team has been struggling recently, losing a Test series 4-0 in India, failing badly in its Champions Trophy title defense in England and being mired in a string of off-field problems leading into the Ashes.

There’s been a replacement in the coaching ranks, with former Test batsman Darren lehmann supplanting South Africa’s Mickey Arthur just weeks before the Ashes. English pundits have been tipping a 5-0 series win over Australia, and the batting collapse in the first innings in Nottingham was not the kind of start the visitors needed.