Abhimanyu Easwaran continues to churn out runs in first class cricket. Abhimanyu scored 191 runs against Mumbai in Irani Cup 2024-25.
Abhimanyu Easwaran, the Bengal opening batter, has been in the news regularly. He has been a standby for a couple of home Test series, but he has not made it to the national squad. However, his timely knock of 191 for the Rest of India against Mumbai in the ongoing Irani Cup would serve as a reminder to the national selectors in case India need a reserve opener in the two Test series ahead.
But first, let’s talk about Abhimanyu’s 191. The dogged opener is known to grind out the bowlers with his strong defence, and this innings was no different. However, his knock ensured that the Rest of India had an anchor that took the team closer to Mumbai’s total of 537 and kept them in the hunt.
He had a stand of 165 runs with Dhruv Jurel (93) for the fifth wicket, where the former was happily playing second fiddle. Abhimanyu took 292 balls for his 191 and smashed 16 fours and one six. He was calm throughout the innings despite the rattle of wickets at the other end.
Abhimanyu’s traditional approach
Abhimanyu has all the traits of being an opener who can make the new-ball bowlers tired. He can also make the ball lose its shine with his dogged presence in the middle. He puts a heavy price tag on his wicket and also scores big tons to keep the team in the hunt. His First-Class cricket stats show that he has been a proven opener for over a decade for Bengal. He is also in red-hot form, closing 1000 runs in 2024. Have a look at his stats.
Record | Matches | Runs | Average | 50s/100s |
First-Class records | 97 | 7315 | 48.44 | 29/25 |
2024 figures | 9 | 921 | 76.75 | 3/4 |
Abhimanyu is a consistent opener in First-Class cricket, scoring more than 7000 runs over 10 years. This experience would come in handy if India needed an opener to replace either Rohit Sharma or Yashasvi Jaiswal in the upcoming Test series in case of injuries or availability. Abhimanyu can not only drop anchor but also make tall scores.
How does Abhimanyu fit into India’s scheme of things?
However, what could probably backfire for Abhimanyu Easwaran is the change of approach of India openers in recent times. Gone are the days when the openers’ role was to tire out the new-ball bowlers and take the shine off the ball. Both Jaiswal and Rohit are attacking strokeplayers and look to put pressure on the opposition by scoring quickly. This strategy and the opening combination have worked well so far for India. Will a rather sedate or more traditional opener in Abhimanyu work or complement either Jaiswal or Rohit?
A look at Abhimanyu’s T20 scores shows he has a decent batting average of 37.53 and has also smashed a ton. He has a strike rate close to 130 in T20s, meaning Abhimanyu could score runs at a faster pace if a T20 style of cricket is needed in Test cricket. He also enjoys a good batting average of 47.49 in 88 List-A games.
Format | Match | Runs | Average | 50s/100s |
T20s | 34 | 976 | 37.53 | 5/1 |
List A | 88 | 3847 | 47.49 | 23/9 |
However, the tough conditions in Australia would demand a technically sound opener in Abhimanyu, who would grind out the Aussie bowlers with his strong defence and take the shine off the new ball while others bat around him. Hence, despite the new opening approach, India would do well to take a traditional opener in Abhimanyu and use him depending on the conditions Down Under. He would also come in handy as a replacement for either of the India openers due to unforeseen circumstances.
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