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As a replacement for the injured Rohit Sharma, Abhimanyu Easwaran has been added to the India team for the first Test against Bangladesh, which begins on Wednesday in Chattogram, but veteran batsman Dinesh Karthik believes the opener is unlikely to have a chance to play.
A traditional batsman who competes for Bengal in the local circuit, Abhimanyu has been making his case to the selectors for the past few seasons and has been designated as a backup for a few series.
He was chosen as one of five standbys in January 2021 for the home Test series against England as well as one of four standbys for the ICC World Test Championship final and the away series against England.
The gifted right-hander, who was raised in Dehradun by a Tamilian father and a Punjabi mother, is unlikely to make the starting XI since Shubman Gill will probably begin the innings for stand-in skipper K.L. Rahul.
"Abhimanyu Easwaran has been active in the circuit for some time, has performed admirably, and is now getting his chance. Due to the opening duo of K.L. Rahul and Shubman Gill, he might not make the starting XI. He has also been persistently knocking on the door, I can assure you. He has provided Bengal with excellent service over the past four or five seasons "According to a report by Cricbuzz, Karthik said.
Abhimanyu Easwaran, according to Karthik, is a very diligent player who will keep pounding on the door for selection.
"His father is a person who enjoys visiting Dehradun and has a great ground there. I've seen that kid work incredibly hard, played with him, and practised with him. I've seen how diligent he is "Prior to the opening Test against Bangladesh, Karthik said.
Abhimanyu Easwaran has scored 4841 runs at an average of 43.22 in 70 first-class games so far, including 15 centuries and 20 half-centuries. With a score of 233, the Bengal captain holds the record and has excelled in both List-A and domestic T20 tournaments.