NEW DELHI: Abhimanyu Easwaran's poor form in the ongoing unofficial Test series against Australia A has raised concerns as he failed to make an impact with the bat in his four innings, just weeks before the crucial Border-Gavaskar Trophy begins.
Easwaran, who was named in India’s squad for the highly anticipated series Down Under, was expected to use the unofficial Test matches as a platform to cement his place as a potential opener in the upcoming series.
However, the Bengal batter struggled to find his footing. After scoring just 7 and 12 in the first unofficial Test at Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, Easwaran’s performance dipped further in the second match at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.
He was dismissed for a four-ball duck in the first innings, contributing to India A's early collapse, where they lost four wickets for just 11 runs in three overs. India A were eventually bowled out for 161, with wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel's gritty 80 saving the team from complete embarrassment.
Though the bowlers, led by Prasidh Krishna, restricted Australia A to 223 in their first innings, India's batters, including Easwaran, were under pressure to deliver in the second innings. Easwaran did manage to get a start, scoring 17 off 31 balls, but he was dismissed in the 8th over, falling to pacer Nathan McAndrew after hitting two boundaries.
Easwaran’s total tally of just 36 runs from four innings in the series reflects a significant missed opportunity for the opener.
With such underwhelming performances, questions are likely to be raised about Easwaran's readiness for the upcoming five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which starts on November 22 in Perth. For the 29-year-old batter, who has been waiting in the wings for a spot in India's Test team, this was not the exhibition he was hoping for ahead of a marquee series.
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