Gautam Gambhir accused of not providing clarity to India batter in England: 'No point in carrying him tour after tour'

Former India women's coach WV Raman feels coach Gautam Gambhir needs to tell the batter whether he fits in India's current plans.

India may or may not make changes in their Playing XI for the remaining two Test matches against England in Manchester and The Oval, but rest assured, until and unless something very out of the blue happens, neither Arshdeep Singh nor Abhimanyu Easwaran will get a game. Arshdeep earned his maiden India Test call-up when, on May 24, the BCCI announced a 15-member squad for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. However, whereas Easwaran has been in the scheme of things for a while now – he earned his maiden Test call-up for the tour of Bangladesh in 2022 – but has yet to make his debut. Prior to it, Easwaran was part of India's squads as a standby since the home series against England in 2021.

Gautam Gambhir must tell Abhimanyu Easwaran where he stands (AP)

Former India opener and coach of the Indian women’s team, WV Raman feels Easwaran needs to be talked to and informed clearly what the team’s plans are for him. For nearly three years now, all Easwaran is doing is warming the benches. Despite getting a place in India’s squad time and again, the fact that Easwaran is not breaking into the Playing XI has divided opinions among fans and former cricketers. Raman wants coach Gautam Gambhir to clearly tell Easwaran where he stands, and if he doesn’t fit in India’s plans, there’s no point persisting with him in the squad.

"For someone like Abhimanyu Easwaran, it is fair to give them a string of chances. One odd sporadic Test is not going to work for the individual or the team. People have to take a call on him. There is, of course, no point in carrying a cricketer tour after tour and not giving him opportunities. Judgmental calls are fine because that’s the nature of the beast in cricket. Coaches and selectors do make judgmental calls. The thing is that there comes a time when it becomes a little bit tricky for everybody concerned because the player himself doesn’t know how he is looked at," Raman told RevSportz.

“The team management is also not sure what to do with one particular player. I am not saying Abhimanyu is not good. It’s better if the decision makers come to a conclusion and decide what exactly he is all about. He has been performing in domestic cricket for a long time. He has been part of the A sides. He is even being made the captain of the A side, which means they do rate him. But he doesn’t seem to be getting the nod.”

Easwaran has been unlucky

Easwaran has been part of several India A squads and some of India’s high-profile series, including the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. After Rohit Sharma retired, many felt that the opening position was Easwaran's, but KL Rahul’s return at the top of the order shut the doors on him. Easwaran was then believed to be a solid contender to bat at No. 3, but after Sai Sudharsan made his debut in the first Test at Leeds, and Karan Nair was given back-to-back chances, the door seems to be shutting on 29-year-old.