Abhimanyu Easwaran, the talented right-handed batsman from Bengal, has strengthened his case for a Test debut with a magnificent century for Rest of India against Mumbai in the Irani Cup. Easwaran, who replaced Ruturaj Gaikwad in India’s squad for the two-match Test series against South Africa last year, has been consistently performing at the domestic level.
Easwaran’s century, which came off 117 balls, is his third in as many games. He scored two centuries in the recently concluded Duleep Trophy. The 29-year-old has been among the top run-getters for Bengal in the domestic circuit, with his breakthrough season coming in 2018-19 when he scored over 800 runs in the Ranji Trophy.
Easwaran’s forte is red-ball cricket, but he has also been a steady performer in List A cricket. He has represented India A in multiple tours, showcasing his potential to break into the Indian national team. He was named in the standby list for India’s Test squad during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21 against Australia and was part of the squad for the England Test series in 2021 and 2022.
With India set to tour Australia later this year, the management will likely include a third opener in the squad. Easwaran’s recent performances have put him in contention for that role. He faces competition from Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mayank Agarwal, and Sai Sudharsan, but his consistent run-scoring has given him an edge.
Easwaran’s century against Mumbai has further strengthened his case for a Test debut. He has shown that he has the temperament and the skills to succeed at the highest level. If he continues to perform at this level, he could soon be donning the Indian whites.
