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A few days ago, Abhimanyu Easwaran was included in India squad for WTC final as a stand-by for the upcoming World Test Championship final against New Zealand steam for WTC final and the following series against England.
Though the right-handed batter didn’t set the world ablaze in the most recent Ranji Trophy (2019-20) campaign, his call-up was a testament to the hard yards put in prior, wherein he plundered runs, both for the Bengal and the India A outfit.
Despite being accorded his biggest breakthrough recently, Abhimanyu Easwaran isn’t content to rest on his laurels. Instead, he has already started chalking out a blueprint – one that could ultimately catapult him into the Indian cricket team, across all formats.
“I want to represent India in all three formats. I am not thinking too far ahead though. I am just focusing on this England tour for now and selection is anyway something I don’t think of. I need to get as many runs as I can and that will give me the best chance to get selected for India in other formats,” Abhimanyu Easwaran told Sportskeeda.
Having said that, there might be numerous individuals who might look at his ambitions with skepticism, considering that he has long been earmarked as a red-ball player. Stats, though, paint a slightly different picture.
Abhimanyu Easwaran has excellent numbers in white-ball cricket
In List A cricket, Abhimanyu Easwaran averages 48.72 and scores at a decent strike rate of 82.40. In the shortest version of the game, his average is healthily placed at 33.64, whereas his strike rate zings up to 131.19.
To that end, Abhimanyu Easwaran has used the COVID-19 induced break to iron out his white-ball flaws and make himself as capable of breaking down the Indian limited-overs door.
“There a lot of things [related to white-ball] cricket that I have worked on. We usually don’t get much time during the season but the break has allowed me to concentrate on a few specific things,” Abhimanyu Easwaran said.
For him to constructively force himself into the white-ball reckoning, one feels he might have to find an IPL gig. Though that hasn’t been forthcoming so far, Abhimanyu Easwaran, in no uncertain terms, stressed that he wasn’t fretting over selection, for it is something that is beyond his control. Instead, he emphasized the importance of piling up runs, quipping that that would give him the best chance to burst into the fray.
As far as his red-ball credentials are concerned, there is enough evidence to suggest that he could be the most adept batter not to have debuted for India so far. His first-class record is impeccable and his hunger for runs seems unmatched.
On that front, his expeditions with the India A (red-ball side) have been immensely fruitful. Not only has it allowed him to attain greater clarity about his game, it has enabled him to pick the brains of Rahul Dravid, who, simply put, is one of the best coaches going around.
“We are lucky to have Rahul Dravid sir as India A coach. He is pretty approachable and that is the best thing about him. We can call him anytime and that is something great about him. He has a lot of international experience and he can guide us to become better players. He gives us small tips that can make a huge difference,” Abhimanyu Easwaran elaborated.
Furthermore, he opened up on how the India A tours have probably been one of the primary reasons for Indian youngsters to stamp their authority on the international stage almost instantly.
“The India A tours have been the perfect bridge between the domestic circuit and international cricket. I feel that is one of the reasons people have been able to come into the Indian side and show that they belong to this level,” Abhimanyu Easwaran remarked.
However, things haven’t been too rosy for Abhimanyu Easwaran and a lot of cricketers, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. The break the novel coronavirus has brought about has not only cast an uncertain cloud over Abhimanyu Easwaran’s form, it has also put the Ranji Trophy – a competition considered the breeding ground for budding talent, on hold.
Thus, it isn’t surprising that he’s itching for a full-fledged domestic season in 2021 – one which also comprises of plenty of red-ball cricket.
Follow latest WTC final score here.
“The Ranji Trophy has been the premier competition in the country for a while now. We have a great domestic structure and we have a lot of games in all formats to express ourselves. I am hoping we have a proper season this year and we get a lot of red-ball cricket,” Abhimanyu Easwaran commented.
As far as his personal fortunes are concerned, though, Abhimanyu Easwaran, at this juncture, seems as equipped as ever to face the trials and tribulations of Test cricket. In fact, he has an interesting philosophy of preparing for the game, irrespective of whether he might feature or not.
“I am mentally prepared to play from the first game itself. This method makes me more confident and it keeps be ready for the match,” he said.
And, he also chose the bowler he would love to face on his Test debut – something that only speaks volumes of the immense confidence he possesses currently.
“It will be a good challenge to face James Anderson. He is one of the best bowlers in the world and I would love to face off against him,” Abhimanyu Easwaran opined.
Hence, in lieu of all factors, it seems that Abhimanyu Easwaran is completely ready to tackle international red-ball cricket. The next task, then, revolves around him establishing himself as an all-format player for the Indian cricket team.
Over the years, Abhimanyu Easwaran has tackled a significant number of odds and has almost always come through unscathed. With that in mind, it might not be long before he scales down the peaks he has set for himself.
Most tellingly, through this conversation, Abhimanyu Easwaran portrayed that his appetite for greater accomplishments is far from being satiated and that he intends to keep improving, until he can become an ever-present for the Indian team.
The aforementioned qualities are the hallmark of any top-drawer cricketer. And, so far, Abhimanyu Easwaran has done nothing to indicate otherwise and everything to suggest that no goal is truly beyond his reach.
Also Read: Bhuvneshwar Kumar: The ideal Indian Test bowler who wasn't
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