With less than two weeks to go for the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) between India and Australia, uncertainty looms over Team India’s opening pair. Rohit Sharma, the team’s captain, may be unavailable for the series opener in Perth due to personal reasons, leaving a vacancy at the top of the order. Abhimanyu Easwaran, one of the contenders for the role, has not been able to seize the opportunity in the ongoing India A vs Australia A series, leaving the selectors with more questions than answers.
Easwaran’s missed opportunity
Easwaran had been in excellent form until the Australia A tour, with four hundreds in his last six first-class matches. His performances had earned him the nod as one of the potential replacements for Sharma. But his recent outings in the unofficial Test series against Australia A have been disappointing. In the first match in Mackay, he managed just 19 runs, and in the second match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Easwaran fell for a golden duck. The ball from Michael Neser was vicious and rose unexpectedly, but despite the difficulty of the delivery, it made many question Easwaran’s readiness for international cricket.
While the ball he faced at the MCG was an excellent delivery, the reality is that Easwaran’s failure to make a mark could prove costly. With India’s top order already under scrutiny, his inability to capitalize on his chance may limit his opportunities in the near future. Given his domestic form, Easwaran will no doubt feel disappointed as he may have missed a golden opportunity to cement his place in the team.
Ruturaj Gaikwad: Another Hope Dashed
The other potential contender for the opening slot, Ruturaj Gaikwad, also suffered a setback in the early stages of the India A series. Gaikwad opened in the first match but found it difficult to make an impact. In the MCG Test, he was demoted to number four, further reducing his chances of opening in the BGT. With Rohit Sharma’s absence still uncertain, Gaikwad’s relegation to the middle order suggests that the management may have lost faith in him as a viable replacement at the top.
Gaikwad’s struggles mirror Easwaran’s, and with just one innings remaining in the series, it is unclear who will partner Yashasvi Jaiswal in the opening slot for the first Test in Perth. The uncertainty surrounding the starting position reflects the growing concern over Team India’s readiness for the upcoming series.
KL Rahul’s test Fighting
Meanwhile, KL Rahul, who was expected to come in as the opening batsman for India A, also had a forgettable outing at the MCG. Rahul lasted just four balls and managed a solitary boundary before being dismissed by pacer Scott Boland. With just 187 runs at an average of 20.77 in Australia from 47 Test innings, Rahul’s struggles in Australian conditions have been well documented. His recent form in the middle order has not been enough to boost his confidence as an opener, and his failure to capitalize on playing time in the India A series only adds to the growing uncertainty.
Despite his previous Test centuries in challenging conditions like England and South Africa, Rahul’s recent form has been inconsistent. His inability to perform in the India A series, coupled with his poor record as an opener, has many wondering if he is the right choice to partner Jaiswal at the top of the order for BGT 2024-25.
The way forward for Team India
As the first Test of the BGT approaches, head coach Gautam Gambhir and the team management are running out of time to finalize their opening combination. The lack of solid performances from Easwaran, Rahul and Gaikwad has left a gaping hole in the line-up, and with no practice matches remaining, it is uncertain who will get the nod to partner Jaiswal in Perth.
With just one innings remaining in the India A series and no further opportunities for the contenders to prove themselves, the team management may have to make a decision based on limited data. The fact that none of the potential openers have scored a fifty in the series is worrying, and the pressure is mounting on the Indian team to find a solution before the series begins.
