'Easwaran Is Ready For Test Cricket'

'You can only break through the doors or force the selectors to pick you for the Indian team by scoring runs consistently in domestic cricket and that is what he has done in the last so many years.'

Bengal's prolific run-scorer Abhimanyu Easwaran has finally earned his place in the Indian team after consistent performances in domestic cricket for more than a decade.

The 29 year old, who has been quite consistent with the bat in first class cricket, was named in the 18-member Test squad for Australia. He was earlier picked in the Indian team, but only as a back-up, but this time with Rohit Sharma missing the Perth Test and Shubman Gill injured, he could make a long-awaited debut.

Easwaran boasts of an outstanding record in first class cricket with 7,638 runs from 99 first class games at an average of 49.

He has proved to be unstoppable with the bat this season, hitting four centuries in a row -- 157 not out and 116 in the Duleep Trophy, 191 in the Irani Cup and 127 not out in the Ranji Trophy.

Former India player Manoj Tiwary, who has followed Easwaran's journey closely as his state captain, believes he is ready to take the step up to Test cricket.

"He is in top form, in good rhythm with the bat and scoring big runs, so definitely he is someone who should be given chances," Tiwary tells Rediff.com's Harish Kotian.

You have seen a young Abhimanyu Easwaran start off for Bengal as a 18 year old in 2013, he has played under your captaincy too. Tell us more about this talented opener.

Abhimanyu is a very dedicated cricketer, very committed. He is always hungry for runs. He is the kind of player every captain would want in their team. These are the qualities that stand out as far as I am concerned.

He always had this passion towards playing for India from a very young age. He has worked his whole life towards this cause.

I have seen that normally players will practice for around 2 to 3 hours in the nets, but Abhimanyu will always practice for more than six hours. He constantly wants to learn, improve his game and avoid the mistakes of the last match.

He is a very good boy off the field as well, he is very grounded.

Abhimanyu Easwaran has been called up for the Australia Test series. Is he ready to play at the highest level given his vast experience of domestic cricket?

I believe he is ready for Test cricket. He definitely deserves a spot in the Test team and I must congratulate the selectors for picking him.

You can only break through the doors or force the selectors to pick you for the Indian team by scoring runs consistently in domestic cricket and that is what he has done in the last so many years.

He has scored centuries in the Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, Irani Cup, and for India A as well so obviously the next stage is the Indian team.

Australia might be a little challenging for him. I would love to see him do well but even if he doesn't do well I just wish that he gets more opportunities in the future.

He should be kept in the scheme of things, they should not throw him out of the squad after the Australia tour.

When Rohit Sharma returns to the team after the break, Abhimanyu will have to make way for him no matter how he performs if he plays in a Test match. The team management should keep him in the squad and make him a part of their future plans. He is in top form, in good rhythm with the bat and scoring big runs, so definitely he is someone who should be given chances.

Do you remember your debut in 2008 when you came straight off the flight and had to face a fired-up Brett Lee straight up who bowled you for 2 and after that you didn't play for India for nearly three years.
Taking from your experience how tough is Australia for a new player from the sub-continent like Abhimanyu?

First of all, my scenario is different from his scenario. He is going much ahead of the tour with the India A team so he will get lot of time to get acclimatised to the conditions and the pitches in Australia ahead of the Test series.

The difference between the Australian pitches and the ones here is the bounce. If he can handle the bounce, I think he will do well.

As quickly as possible, he should get settled and adjust to the bounce there during the India A games, during which he will get a fair idea of how to cope with the bounce and how to score runs.

On Australian pitches, if you spend some time at the wicket and get set then you can score a lot of runs. So the start is important, he needs to be very tight with his technique and leave a lot of balls.

Once he leaves a lot of balls it will help him adjust and get used to the bounce in Australia, after that he will be fine.

It is all about how you think about your mindset, it is between the ears. Technically, he is very good, he has been consistent for so long because of this reason.

Abhimanyu has over 7,600 first-class runs in 99 matches while averaging nearly 50 and has been playing the Ranji Trophy for more than a decade before he made it to the Indian team.
Recently he made four centuries in a row to literally force the selectors to pick him. So making it to the Indian team hasn't come easy for him.

Obviously, he had to work very hard but he is someone who will never complain. That is a good thing about him. He will never complain, even when he was not getting selected he never complained, he will keep it to himself.

A lot of players in today's generation are getting opportunities. In our times, we played one or two games and then we were dropped, the communication was not there.

Today, you see so many games India is playing, the selectors are constantly clear about their preferences and they are talking to the players.

But you are right, it didn't come easy for him. To be honest, it should not come easy either because that will help him.

If he sticks to his game plan, the hard yard which he has put in for 99 first class games, I think it will pay rich dividends like how it worked out for Sarfaraz Khan.

Sometimes, luck plays a big role and it all depends if there is a spot in the team. Like in my days, I could have played Test cricket but the opportunity never came. And for Abhimanyu, this opportunity could come only because Rohit is set to miss a Test match.

But you never know if he will surely play or not. It all depends on what Coach Gautam Gambhir thinks. Jasprit Bumrah will be the captain but I think the final call will come down to Gambhir.

So I don't know for sure whether Abhimanyu will play or not, but I believe he should definitely play, he certainly deserves to play.

• Part 2 of the Interview: 'Kohli, Rohit Also Need A Pat Sometimes'