Irani Cup: Opener Abhimanyu Easwaran makes statement hundred for ROI vs Mumbai, records 26th First-Class century | Cricket News
Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran continued his purple patch as he slammed his second Irani Cup hundred for the Rest of India side against Mumbai at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Thursday.
Opening the batting in pursuit of Mumbai’s mammoth 537-run first-innings total on Day 3, RoI vice-captain Easwaran cantered to a flawless hundred. Easwaran, who finds himself in a three-way race with RoI teammates Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sai Sudharsan to take up a spot as India’s backup Test opener, got to his century in 117 balls.
While skipper Ruturaj (9) fell early, the 29-year-old Easwaran weathered the Mumbai attack before raising his 26th First-Class hundred. Easwaran only found partnerships in patches as Sudharsan (32) and Devdutt Padikkal (16) fluffed their starts.
Easwaran’s hundred comes as a timely reminder of his skills as the national selectors continue to prepare the Test squad for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, starting in late November.
Easwaran, who captained the India B side in the Duleep Trophy last month, finished second on the run-scoring charts with 309 runs, including two gritty centuries. The innings marked Easwaran’s fourth hundred of the season, which also includes a double hundred against Bihar in the Ranji Trophy last February.
A veteran of 98 First Class games, Easwaran has racked up more than 7300 in the format with an average above 49.
While Easwaran remains high on the pecking order for the back-up opener’s slot in the Test squad, the three-way race is expected to continue in the India A set-up during its tour to Australia starting October 31. The Indian Express understands that with not much separating Easwaran, Gaikwad and Sudharsan, whoever adjusts quickly to the conditions in Australia is expected to take the third opener’s slot.
