Opener Abhimanyu Easwaran has lauded the influence of Team India's head coach Gautam Gambhir, saying the 44-year-old's experience and insights have played a significant role in refining his approach at the crease.
Gambhir is currently with the Men in Blue in Australia for the five-match T20Is, where the team is 0-1 down at the moment after the completion of the first two matches of the series.
The former Indian cricketer was appointed the head coach of the national team last July. Since then, the Indian Cricket Team has managed to lift the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at home and the Asia Cup title in Dubai earlier this year.
Expressing his views on Gambhir, Easwaran told ANI, "It has been really advantageous for me because he has played at the highest level of cricket. He was a very successful cricketer, and he was an opening batter just like me. I have talked to him a lot about batting, and I have learned a lot. It has had a good impact. We practice in things that will be beneficial according to the surface. We talk about those things a lot."
Easwaran has been a domestic cricket stalwart for Bengal, with 107 first-class games, 8,070 runs at an average of 48.32 with the help of 27 centuries and 33 fifties.
His first class career numbers read: 167 matches, 7,404 runs with 30 half-tons, 25 centuries and a best of 233 all at an impressive average of 49.03!
Yet, he continues to wait for his Test debut.
The lack of opportunity drew sharp words from his father Ranganathan Easwaran, who aired his frustration over the continued snub in an interview with The Times of India.
'I'm not keeping a count of the number of days that Abhimanyu has been waiting for his Test debut. I am counting the years; it has been three years now,' he said on August 1.
'What is the job of a player? It is to score runs. He has done that. People said he didn't perform in two India A matches during the last tour of Australia and didn't get into the team, which is fair enough.
'But Karun Nair wasn't in the team during the period when Abhimanyu performed before the BGT. Karun wasn't picked for the Duleep Trophy or the Irani Trophy. Abhimanyu scored close to 864 runs if you consider the period from last year to the current year.'
The senior Easwaran also questioned the selection process and the metrics used to award Test caps.
'Then how do they compare? I don't understand. They gave a chance to Karun Nair. Fair enough, he scored 800-plus runs. The selectors have put faith in him.'
According to him, the snub is now impacting his son's mental well-being.
'My son looks a little depressed, but that is bound to happen. Some players jump the gun based on IPL performances which earn them a spot in the Test team.
'IPL performances should not be counted while selecting the team for the longest format. Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, and Irani Trophy should be the basis for Test selection.'
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