Saba Karim believes Abhimanyu Easwaran, who was named as one of the 5 standbys for the England tour richly deserves his reported inclusion in India’s main Test squad for the upcoming five-match series against England.
Previously, Indian selectors had reportedly turned down Team India’s demand for additional openers(Prithvi Shaw, Devdutt Padikkal) to be sent over to England as replacements for the injured Shubman Gill. Certain reports suggest that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked the team management to induct Abhimanyu Easwaran into the main Test squad from the reserves.
Saba Karim: Abhimanyu Easwaran Will Get A Chance In The XI If Likes Of KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, And Rohit Sharma Fails In First Couple Of Tests
While reflecting on this development during a discussion on India News, Saba Karim lauded the move.
The former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Saba Karim said: “This is an extremely logical step. If an opener has gotten injured and he has come back, another opener should get a spot in his place. He richly deserves it because he has given good performances in domestic cricket and was part of the Indian team earlier also as a standby.”
Saba Karim added that Abhimanyu Easwaran might come into the reckoning for a berth in the playing XI if the other openers KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal or Rohit Sharma fail to perform in the first couple of Tests.
Saba Karim observed: “So, this is a sensible and well-thought-out decision. If he doesn’t get a chance in the first two Test matches, but if our openers don’t click, which we don’t want, Abhimanyu Easwaran will also get a chance to come in the XI, which will be a huge achievement for him.”
Either Mayank Agarwal or KL Rahul is likely to partner Rohit Sharma at the top of the order in the first Test against England starting August 4. The Indian team management will hope that the opening combination fires and they don’t have to fall back on Abhimanyu Easwaran, who does not have any international experience.
Abhimanyu Easwaran Has Come Through The Grinding Of Domestic Cricket: Reetinder Singh Sodhi
Reetinder Singh Sodhi stressed that God has been kind to opener Abhimanyu Easwaran because of the hard yards he has put in at the first-class level.
The former all-rounder said: “God’s grace is being seen on Abhimanyu Easwaran because this lad has scored runs year after year. Nowadays we see that you get chances when you do well in the IPL, which is a good thing, but Easwaran has come through the grinding of domestic cricket.”
Reetinder Singh Sodhi signed off by stating that Abhimanyu Easwaran is the most deserved candidate to make it to the Indian team.
“If this lad doesn’t deserve it, I feel no one does. This man was waiting in the wings and now signs are coming that he might get a dream debut, whenever it happens, I think he deserves it very highly.”
Abhimanyu Easwaran has aggregated 4401 runs at a decent average of 43.57 in 64 first-class matches. He has scored 13 centuries in the process, with 233 being his highest score.
Abhimanyu Easwaran’s rise to the Indian squad is the culmination of years of hard work he’s put together playing First-Class cricket for Bengal and India A. In eight seasons for Bengal, he has featured in 46 matches for Bengal, averaging 43.82 with nine centuries. Between 2014-15 and 2018-19 seasons, his averages have read 52.87, 50.44, 41.40, 50.85, and 80.78.
Similarly, Abhimanyu Easwaran has put up a string of equally stellar performances for India A. In 14 matches, he has scored 861 runs with two centuries and 13 fifties. In 2019, he had struck a double century – a knock of 233 – against Sri Lanka.