Whether I get picked or not for India, my love for the game is unconditional: Abhimanyu Easwaran | Cricket News

With the race for the third opener’s slot for the Test tour to Australia heating up, Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran is a contender. Beginning with the Duleep Trophy and then at the Irani Cup and the opening round of Ranji Trophy, Easwaran has scored 157*, 116 & 19, 191, 5 & 127. In the last four years he has come close to earning an India cap twice only to be dropped. Fresh from scoring a century against Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy, Easwaran spoke to The Indian Express. Excerpts:Abhimanyu, you are again scoring hundreds consently. What’s the secret?
Abhimanyu Easwaran: I’m not trying to do anything special. I am doing the basics right at the moment. I believe I’ve got a solid game plan which is helping me. Moreover, irrespective of which team you play for, contributing to the team always is a good feeling, especially when you score centuries.
In the past, when you were in form, you usually made it count and score 4-5 centuries on the trot. How did you develop this habit?
Abhimanyu Easwaran: It’s not easy. It comes down to the right preparation and being able to repeat the good things that you’ve been doing. Not always will you make runs because the pitches are different, the bowlers are different. But you have to develop a mindset, where you are able to play the situation. I’ve been playing the situation and the conditions really well.
How did you prepare for this season?
Abhimanyu Easwaran: Pre-season and pre-game are a little different. Pre-season is where you work a lot on your skill. You work on different shots, you work on your technique, you open up different areas of your game. Once the season begins, it is just about having that tactical planning because every venue is different. We played a lot on red soil pitches so far now we are going back to black soil, where the bounce will be different. So once the season begins, I feel it is just about getting used to the pitches.
When you play in such varied conditions in a domestic circuit, how challenging is it to keep the fluency going?
Abhimanyu Easwaran: The practice pitches become important. They are mostly similar to what you get in a game. So I use them to understand how it is going to behave and what shots to play. The basic game plan is going to change during the course of my innings but it just gives me an idea of what my scoring areas are.
What makes opening the innings enjoyable?
Abhimanyu Easwaran: Every single thing. A good defence or a good leave is as good as a boundary. It is about winning those small battles for me.
Given your incredible consency over the years, what do you go through when a selection meeting is around the corner?
Abhimanyu Easwaran: The dream has been to win games for the country. So that’s what is on your mind. But with time, I’ve realised that selection is not in my hands so there is no point investing too much energy into it. So you just wait for your turn and try to improve as much as you can and then just hope for the best.
When you keep performing consently across conditions, do you ask yourself what more should I do?
Abhimanyu Easwaran: You need to remind yourself that you started playing this game because you love it. Whether I get picked or not that love is unconditional. I want to have fun when I play this game. That selection thing comes into my mind but I am very lucky to have good people around me. My family, my friends, my coach. Whenever I lack clarity I have a chat with them and that gives me a lot of clarity to focus on what I can control.
The other day the squad for the New Zealand Tests were announced. When your name wasn’t included what did you do?
Abhimanyu Easwaran: I had clarity that now I’ve to continue playing Ranji Trophy. So I just went back to my preparation and made sure that I don’t do anything different just because I didn’t get a call up. If there is something going on in my mind I have a chat with my friends or my coach and get it out of my head.
As a premier batsman in the domestic circuit, is it a disadvantage if you don’t have an IPL contract?
Abhimanyu Easwaran: I want to play in the IPL because it is the biggest league in the world and you want to play with the best. It gives you a lot of exposure. You improve as a cricketer for sure. I’ve seen a lot of cricketers get into the IPL and come back as better players. But whether that is a disadvantage or advantage, I cannot comment on that.
You have been part of India A tours and have the exposure of playing in different conditions across the globe.
Abhimanyu Easwaran: India A has been a great exposure for me. I have been part of the India team on away tours (England, Bangladesh) as well. There has been a lot of learning in terms of conditions, getting to know other players. But again IPL is different because you are sharing the dressing room with a lot of greats and there is a lot of learning there. It is not about where you are playing, but who you play with.
There were a couple of occasions when you came close to getting the India cap (in the 15), but were dropped later. How did you handle that?
Abhimanyu Easwaran: It is a challenge for sure. Sometimes, you just want to leave everything (give up). But then you face the reality. The things that you did well in domestic cricket is what has earned you a place in the team. Just because I didn’t get an opportunity to play, doesn’t mean I have to change things. At this point it is all about keeping myself ready whenever an opportunity comes.
You are in contention for the third opener’s role for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. How important is that shadow India ‘ A’ tour for you?
Abhimanyu Easwaran: You are playing in conditions where the Test series will be played. So you have the chance to get used to it. Even if you are going to get one game, you will not feel out of place. It will give an extra advantage.

Having gone through the domestic grind over the years, how much confidence do you take into the top level?
Abhimanyu Easwaran: The challenge in Ranji Trophy is that every other game is at a new venue where the conditions and pitches are different. That doesn’t really happen too much in Test cricket because if you are playing a 5 Test series in Australia, the pitches could differ but I don’t think the weather differs much. Here, one week you are playing on a turning deck, and next week it is on a green top and then on a very flat pitch. You get to know more about yourself. Going through the Ranji grind teaches you to be consent. I feel confident about my game because of this grind. And more importantly, I’m in a good headspace.