Mohammad Kaif has made a strong pitch for Abhimanyu Easwaran’s inclusion in India’s playing XI for the first Test of the upcoming five-match series against England, starting June 20 at the Headingley in Leeds.
The former India batter took to social media to question the selection committee’s recent decisions, particularly over-looking proven domestic performers, and said dropping someone like Easwaran would be repeating the same mistake they made with Sarfaraz Khan.
This is not the first time Kaif has spoken in favour of domestic stalwarts. A staunch advocate for merit-based selections, Kaif has previously expressed concern over the growing tendency to overlook consistent red-ball performers. With India going into the first Test with a new-look batting unit, Kaif believes it is the right moment to reward long-time performers like Easwaran.
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"Don’t Repeat Your Mistake" - Mohammad Kaif Sends Stern Message To Team India
The 29-year-old Abhimanyu Easwaran boasts a formidable first-class record. With 7,841 runs and 27 centuries under his belt, the Bengal opener has been knocking on the doors of Test cricket for several years. Kaif feels this might be the ideal stage for the selectors to correct past oversights and give Easwaran the break he deserves.
Kaif’s comments came via a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, where he drew a clear parallel between the Sarfaraz Khan situation and Easwaran’s current predicament. Sarfaraz was overlooked for the series, a decision that did not sit well with many in the cricketing fraternity.
"Abhimanyu Easwaran deserves to be in the playing XI before Sai Sudarshan. Easwaran's 27 first-class hundreds, almost 8k FC runs need to be respected. By dropping Sarfaraz, someone who scored runs for India A in England, selectors made a mistake. They shouldn't repeat it by keeping Easwaran out of Leeds Test," Kaif wrote on X.
While Kaif has pushed for Easwaran’s inclusion in the XI, it does not seem likely that the team management will listen to him. Rishabh Pant has confirmed that Shubman Gill will bat at No. 4, while he himself will bat at five. The No. 3 spot is still up for grabs, but Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair seem to be the two contenders for it.
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Abhimanyu Easwaran’s Recent Performances
What goes in Easwaran’s favour is his recent form in English conditions. He captained the India A side during the recent series against England Lions and made the most of his opportunities.
Across two four-day matches against the England Lions, Easwaran registered two half-centuries and strengthened his case.
