Sai Sudharsan or Abhimanyu Easwaran: Ex-cricketers back experience over potential

India Today

4 hours ago

India's vice-captain Rishabh Pant has already clarified the batting order for himself and captain Shubman Gill. However, one major question remains: who will occupy the crucial No. 3 spot?Over the years, stalwarts like Cheteshwar Pujara and Rahul Dravid have defined what it means to bat at No. 3-anchoring the innings, facing a bulk of deliveries, blunting the new ball, and laying the foundation for the middle order to flourish.advertisementIn the current squad, the contenders for that role appear to be the experienced Abhimanyu Easwaran and the in-form youngster Sai Sudharsan.
The 23-year-old Sudharsan, a stylish left-hander from Tamil Nadu, is coming off a stellar IPL season, where he won the orange cap (most runs) while Easwaran has remained on the fringes-often away from the domestic scene due to regular stints with India A and periodic call-ups to the senior side.Several former cricketers believe it's time India backed experience over promise and handed Easwaran a long-awaited opportunity. Among them is former India batter Mohammed Kaif, who voiced his support on X (formerly Twitter), stating that Easwaran's consistent run in first-class cricket deserves recognition at the highest level.Kaif also expressed disappointment over the exclusion of Sarfaraz Khan, despite his impressive performances in practice matches. He urged the selectors not to repeat the same mistake with Easwaran, emphasising the importance of rewarding sustained domestic excellence.advertisement"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 Sarfraz, someone who scored runs for India A in England, the selectors made a mistake. They shouldn't repeat it by keeping Easwaran out of the Leeds Test," Kaif highlighted.Meanwhile, former cricketer-turned-coach WV Raman offered a different perspective. Instead of batting at No. 3, he believes the Bengal veteran should be slotted at the very top of the order.Like Kaif, Raman expressed frustration over Easwaran's limited opportunities and feels that the current situation presents the ideal chance for him to finally make his mark in Test cricket."Let's not forget that Easwaran has been getting runs much higher than him over a long period. We have had Easwaran as a part of the squad. We are not playing him. And that is again creating a lot of dilemmas when the next selection comes up. We will have to try and reward him fully in the sense that there is no point picking him in the squad," Raman said in an interview with the Times of India."There is a vacant slot at the top of the order. And here you have, on the other hand, you have a player who has been opening right through his life, who has got runs almost every season. And then you pick him in the squad. When there is an opening slot which is vacant, you don't use him. I think we need to first answer that particular bit," he added.Easwaran or Sudharsan - the question is likely to linger right up until the toss. Whether the final call proves to be the right one remains to be seen. Easwaran could finally be handed his long-awaited Test debut, or the team management might opt for Sudharsan with an eye on the future.The Test at Headingley will certainly shed some light on what the management is thinking in the post-Rohit-Kohli era. Must Watch