Veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has shared that Abhimanyu Easwaran could open for India in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. However, he also shared that the Bengal opener has faced a horror run in his four innings in the ongoing unofficial Test series between India A and Australia A as well.
However, Easwaran scored 17 runs off 31 deliveries in India A’s second innings of the second unofficial Test in Melbourne. The visitors finished the second day at 73/5 before Dhruv Jurel’s 68-run knock and handy contributions from the lower-order batters helped them reach 229 on Day 3 (Saturday, November 9) as well.
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Speaking about the second day’s play in a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “They got out once again. It was 0, 4, 0, 4 in the first innings. Here also, whether it’s Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sai Sudharsan, KL Rahul or Ruturaj Gaikwad, no one is scoring runs. India A are not playing well. It comes to your mind that you are preparing for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. For that, you sent your players early to practice and score runs. If they score runs, you could make up your minds to play them. Abhimanyu Easwaran still has bright chances of playing, although he doesn’t have any returns in these unofficial Test matches. Based on that, you feel he is probably not ready.”
In the same video, Aakash Chopra also added that KL Rahul, another potential opening option was dismissed bizarrely in the second unofficial Test against Australia A as well.
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“Since Rohit might not be available for the first match, you thought you would get KL Rahul to open. So you sent KL Rahul. As soon as he arrived, he was asked to play. He got out in the first innings – okay. The way he got out in the second innings, you see that and say what is this new way he found to get out The pitch had gotten better in the second innings. I concede there was help from the pitch in the first innings. The ball was moving and you lost wickets quickly. A spinner bowled to KL Rahul and don’t know how the ball went between the legs and hit his stumps. You say his confidence is also at rock bottom,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
