India batter Abhimanyu Easwaran has yet to feature in the playing XI for any of the five Tests against England, despite being part of the squad. The 29-year-old is still waiting to make his Test debut for India, even though he has consistently received call-ups since 2021. Easwaran has built an impressive record in first-class cricket, amassing 7,841 runs in 103 matches, including 27 centuries. A mainstay of the Bengal domestic side, he has been one of the most reliable performers in the domestic circuit. However, his continued exclusion from the national team in any format has left many puzzled.
His omission from the fifth and final Test at The Oval has especially drawn attention. India finished Day 1 at 204 for 6, with Karun Nair and Washington Sundar at the crease. The decision to play Nair instead of Easwaran has sparked criticism, particularly from Easwaran’s father, Ranganathan, who publicly questioned the selection call.
“I’m not keeping a count of the number of days that Abhimanyu has been waiting for his Test debut. I am counting the years; it has been three years now. What is the job of a player? It is to score runs,” Ranganathan told TimesofIndia.com.
“He has done that. People said he didn’t perform in two India A matches during the last tour of Australia and didn’t get into the team, which is fair enough. But Karun Nair wasn’t in the team during the period when Abhimanyu performed before the BGT,” he added.
Ranganathan also expressed concern over his son’s mental state, suggesting that Easwaran may be feeling low after repeatedly being sidelined despite his consistent performances. He criticized the weight given to IPL performances when it comes to red-ball selection.
“My son looks a little depressed, but that is bound to happen. Some players jump the gun based on IPL performances, which earn them a spot in the Test team. IPL performances should not be counted while selecting the team for the longest format. Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy should be the basis for Test selection,” he stated.
Easwaran last played in June during a two-match Test series for India A against the England Lions, where he registered two half-centuries. Still, players like Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan were chosen over him and given repeated opportunities during the ongoing England series.
15 Players that played before him – KS Bharat, Suryakumar Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Sai Sudharsan, and Anshul Kamboj.