Abhimanyu Easwaran’s big chance to prove himself as Rohit Sharma’s replacement just got off to a disastrous start. The India-A captain, who’s been tipped to fill the void left by Sharma’s Test retirement, managed a mere 8 runs in the first innings of their tour of England. Easwaran’s flop show has opened up the field for other contenders like KL Rahul or Sai Sudarshan to take the opening slot.
Easwaran had a promising start, smashing two boundaries off Josh Tongue in the sixth over. But his aggression proved to be his downfall as he fell leg-before to a full-length ball from Tongue. The young batsman has three more chances to redeem himself in the remaining two first-class matches against England Lions.
The BCCI has already handed over the captaincy to Shubman Gill, with Rishabh Pant as his deputy. Now, all eyes are on who will partner Gill at the top. Will it be Easwaran, or will someone else seize the opportunity? With 7,774 runs in 101 first-class matches, including 27 centuries and 29 half-centuries, Easwaran has the credentials, but he needs to deliver under pressure.
Easwaran’s failure has also raised questions about whether Gill will open the batting himself. The young captain has the option to promote himself up the order, which could further complicate Easwaran’s chances. As the India-A team takes on England Lions, all eyes will be on Easwaran to see if he can turn his fortunes around and stake his claim for the opening slot in the Test team.