Abhimanyu Easwaran (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra) Abhimanyu Easwaran’s story remains one of the enduring conundrums of Indian cricket. A proven player in domestic red-ball cricket, the Bengal opener has picked up year after year in the Ranji Trophy, yet a Test debut still eludes him. Despite being called up to the Indian team several times, he was repeatedly overlooked whenever the opportunity arose. Across 109 first-class games, Easwaran compiled 8136 runs at an impressive average of 47.85, but this still did not translate into a place in the playing XI. Now 30, Easwaran has never featured in the Indian Premier League and has not built much of a reputation in the limited overs formats. Many feel that this lack of white-ball exposure has worked against him, especially at a time when selectors seem to be favoring shorter-format performers even for Test cricket.
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But Easwaran seems determined to change perceptions. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy clash against Punjab, he smashed 130 off just 66 balls. Although Bengal could not secure victory, the innings certainly drew attention and marked a rare display of T20 aggression from a player known for red-ball consistency. The strike was even mentioned by former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who took a sly jab at head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar during a recent interview. Ashwin joked that now that Easwaran has a T20 ton under his belt, he will finally be considered for the Test side. “Abhimanyu Easwaran has scored a hundred in T20 now too. Now we can see him for sure. Since he has scored in T20 now, we will definitely see him in the Test team now,” Ashwin commented on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat. One criticism that Easwaran often faces is that he has not made the most of his chances in India A matches. Earlier this year, he openly admitted the disappointment. In an interview with Revsportz in October, he admitted that the constant omission was affecting him. “Yes, sometimes it hurts. You give your all, you train hard and the dream is to be in the middle, to perform, to contribute to wins. But I’m lucky to have a solid support system. My family, friends and coach help me stay grounded and motivated. I’m in a good position right now and I’m looking forward to the Ranji season,” he said.
