Pressure Mounts on Easwaran After Another Low Score
The warm-up games are supposed to help players find their rhythm before the spotlight of a high-stakes series. For Abhimanyu Easwaran, though, these matches seem to have left more questions than answers. Walking in at number three for India A against England Lions, Easwaran’s stay at the crease was brief—just 11 runs from 13 balls before Chris Woakes ended his innings. That wasn’t an outlier, either. It followed a lowly eight-run score a few days ago, both times leaving spectators—and, surely, selectors—wondering if he’s ready for the jump to the biggest stage.
This has become a bit of a pattern for Easwaran, especially when the pressure is on or when playing overseas. While his domestic numbers have often made his case, cracks appear in key first-class matches abroad. Right now, nothing about his form guarantees he’ll thrive in an England series famous for exposing even seasoned openers and top-order batters.
Shifting Era: India’s Search for Batting Stability
The scrutiny isn’t happening in a vacuum. The Indian Test team is changing fast. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli—the backbone of the batting order for years—have stepped down, and much of the leadership now sits with Shubman Gill. Fans are still getting used to seeing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan on the teamsheet, a sign of where the squad’s inexperience might show up most: the top order.
That’s why selectors’ choices are coming under greater fire. Just compare Easwaran’s opportunity with Sarfaraz Khan’s reaction to being left out. While Sarfaraz wasn’t picked for the main squad, he answered back in style, scoring a solid 92 against the very same England Lions lineup. The message? Some batters are desperate—and delivering—to snag a Test berth, while others are struggling to take their chances when they come.
The changing of the guard has come at a tough time. India’s five-match Test series in England through June and July 2025 will be a true trial by fire: Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s, The Oval, and Old Trafford aren’t grounds where you can fake your way to big runs. And memories of 2007 still linger—the last time an Indian team managed a Test series win on English soil.
The stakes just feel bigger this year. With fresh faces in the batting order and a captain learning on the job, every selection is magnified. Will India’s gamble on Easwaran pay off, or will mounting criticism push the selectors to look elsewhere if his struggles persist? The only certainty: every run and every wicket in these warm-up matches will keep echoing until the first ball is bowled in Leeds come June.
