Possibly the biggest assignment of India in test cricket in recent times, the “Border Gavaskar Trophy” will start tomorrow, 22nd November 2024, with the first Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth. BGT is a tough test in itself, but this time India is in big trouble before the start of the series and injury concerns. Upon that, the captain of the team, Rohit Sharma, might not be a part of the playing XI in this match. The absence of Rohit Sharma created a vacuum in the opening slot as India had to find a replacement who could pair up with Yashasvi Jaiswal.
For this job, India has two guys, KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran. KL Rahul would be a great prospect to open the innings with Jaiswal in Perth, as he has done the opening for Team India in the past and done it pretty well. In fact, KL Rahul’s best performance in test cricket came at the opening position. In 26 matches, Rahul opened for India in tests with an average of 40.02 and four centuries. Pushing Rahul to open could be risky but the unavailability of a tested opener is also a concern. However, India has a second opener in the form of Abhimanyu Easwaran who is likely to warm the benches.
Abhimanyu Easwaran has been one of the consistent performers in the domestic circuit of India, and this time too, he earned his place in the Indian Test squad for BGT 2024-25 on the behest of his consistent performances in domestic cricket. He is one of those players who was on the verge of making India’s playing XI but didn’t quite make it.
Despite his domestic performances, Easwaran has had little success with the national squad. He was on standby for the 2021 Test series against England and the World Test Championship final, but he did not make the playing XI. Even though he has been a regular member for India A, his most recent appearance was not very impressive. In an unofficial Test series against Australia A, he struggled, hitting only 19 runs in the first match and a duck and 17 in the second.
But here’s the dilemma: while Easwaran has struggled with India A, his domestic record is strong, and his recent form is good. Meanwhile, KL Rahul, who is also competing for the opening berth, has not been particularly impressive. Rahul’s recent form has been a concern, and with Rohit and Gill away, this could be Easwaran’s perfect opportunity for a long-awaited debut.
So, would Team India take a chance on the in-form Easwaran or go with the more experienced but out-of-form Rahul? For Easwaran, who has been sitting on the sidelines for years, this could be the opportunity he has been looking forward to prove what it takes to open for India on the world stage. But for Rahul, this is a fight to find his true self, Rahul once was considered a future leader of the Indian dressing room.
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