Former India pacer Varun Aaron has called for batter Abhimanyu Easwaran’s inclusion in the playing XI for the home Tests against West Indies, starting on October 2. He said that while he was unsure where the 30-year-old would fit in the playing XI, the management had to find a spot for him in the upcoming series.
The Bengal batter was part of the Indian squad during the twin tours to Australia in 2024-25 and in England in 2025. However, he did not get a chance to play in either of those overseas series.
“Abhimanyu Easwaran has been sitting on the sidelines for an eternity. He has just been drooling at the opportunity of getting a game and that has never happened. I feel finally this is going to be the series where he gets a game. I don’t know in what capacity or which number, but I think India have to play him and give him a chance at some stage,” Aaron told ESPNCricinfo.
The 35-year-old has said that Easwaran may have to be accommodated in India’s middle-order, if there was no place for him in the top-order.
“Sai Sudharsan is definitely going to bat at 3. So maybe he (Easwaran) is going to have to change position. This top order (top 4) is never going to change because they had such a good series in England. Then Abhimanyu Easwaran is always going to be sitting out. So it could be one of those cases where you have a chat with a genuine opener and ask him if you would like to have a go at the middle order,” Aaron added.
Easwaran has developed into one of the linchpins in Bengal’s batting line-up. He has amassed 7885 runs in 104 first-class matches at an average of 48.67 with 31 fifties and 27 hundreds. The 30-year-old has captained India A in numerous series, and his consistent performances on the domestic circuit earned him his first India call-up for the two-Test series against Bangladesh in December 2022.
His father, Ranganathan Easwaran, had said in July that he felt his son looked a bit depressed after having to wait for his chance to play for India. He had also said that IPL performances should not be counted for selection while choosing India’s Test teams, adding that squads for the longest format had to be chosen based on performances in Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy matches.
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