In the recently picked India squad for the two-match West Indies Test series, several players were not selected despite being part of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy squad. Abhimanyu Easwaran is one among them. Easwaran did not get a single game in England and has now not been picked for the West Indies series as well. He got his maiden call-up to the India squad in 2021-22, but since then, 15 players have made their Test debut – but not Easwaran. His father, Ranganathan Easwaran, was angry over the repeated omissions and vented his ire after India’s tour of England. Abhimanyu Easwaran has played 103 first-class matches, scoring 7,841 runs at an average of 48.70.
Krishnamachari Srikkanth, a member of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning side, said that Easwaran’s father’s remarks might have played a part in the batter not getting picked for the series against the West Indies.
“I feel bad for Abhimanyu Easwaran. I think his father made some strong statements (after England), and maybe that’s why they’ve dropped him now. But Ajit Agarkar‘s reasoning on not needing a reserve opener at home was fair,” Srikanth said on his YouTube channel.
When asked about the decision to not include him, BCCI chief selector Agarkar said that the team management did not need a third opener at home, which led to the decision over Easwaran. “On Abhimanyu, we don’t need a third opener at home,” Agarkar said.
Earlier, Easwaran Senior made some fiery comments regarding Indian team selection.
“Gautam Gambhir, when he spoke to my son, assured him, ‘See, you’re doing the right kind of things, you’ll get your turn, you’ll get a long run. I’m not the one who will push you out after one or two matches. I’ll give you a long rope.’ That’s what my son communicated to me. The entire coaching team assured him that he’ll get his due, he’ll get his long run. That’s the best I can say. My son is waiting for 4 years. He’s put in 23 years of hard work,” Ranganathan said in an interview on Vickey Lalwani’s YouTube channel.
“He should have played one down. There is no question. There are no second thoughts about it. No ill feelings for Sai Sudharsan. Where does he fit in? 0, 30, 61, 0 (Sai Sudharsan’s scores in Leeds and Manchester Tests). They could have tried Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu has played about 30% of his matches at Eden Gardens, which has a green track, and he’s got experience playing on green tracks. The record suggests Abhimanyu is a player who holds the innings for a long time. Records speak,” Abhimanyu Easwaran’s father said.