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India Today
2 hours ago
- Sport
- India Today
Sai Sudharsan or Abhimanyu Easwaran: Ex-cricketers back experience over potential
India's vice-captain Rishabh Pant has already clarified the batting order for himself and captain Shubman Gill. However, one major question remains: who will occupy the crucial No. 3 spot?Over the years, stalwarts like Cheteshwar Pujara and Rahul Dravid have defined what it means to bat at No. 3-anchoring the innings, facing a bulk of deliveries, blunting the new ball, and laying the foundation for the middle order to the current squad, the contenders for that role appear to be the experienced Abhimanyu Easwaran and the in-form youngster Sai Sudharsan. The 23-year-old Sudharsan, a stylish left-hander from Tamil Nadu, is coming off a stellar IPL season, where he won the orange cap (most runs) while Easwaran has remained on the fringes-often away from the domestic scene due to regular stints with India A and periodic call-ups to the senior former cricketers believe it's time India backed experience over promise and handed Easwaran a long-awaited opportunity. Among them is former India batter Mohammed Kaif, who voiced his support on X (formerly Twitter), stating that Easwaran's consistent run in first-class cricket deserves recognition at the highest also expressed disappointment over the exclusion of Sarfaraz Khan, despite his impressive performances in practice matches. He urged the selectors not to repeat the same mistake with Easwaran, emphasising the importance of rewarding sustained domestic Easwaran deserves to be in the playing XI before Sai Sudarshan. Easwaran's 27 first-class hundreds, almost 8k FC runs, need to be respected. By dropping Sarfraz, someone who scored runs for India A in England, the selectors made a mistake. They shouldn't repeat it by keeping Easwaran out of the Leeds Test," Kaif former cricketer-turned-coach WV Raman offered a different perspective. Instead of batting at No. 3, he believes the Bengal veteran should be slotted at the very top of the Kaif, Raman expressed frustration over Easwaran's limited opportunities and feels that the current situation presents the ideal chance for him to finally make his mark in Test cricket."Let's not forget that Easwaran has been getting runs much higher than him over a long period. We have had Easwaran as a part of the squad. We are not playing him. And that is again creating a lot of dilemmas when the next selection comes up. We will have to try and reward him fully in the sense that there is no point picking him in the squad," Raman said in an interview with the Times of India."There is a vacant slot at the top of the order. And here you have, on the other hand, you have a player who has been opening right through his life, who has got runs almost every season. And then you pick him in the squad. When there is an opening slot which is vacant, you don't use him. I think we need to first answer that particular bit," he or Sudharsan - the question is likely to linger right up until the toss. Whether the final call proves to be the right one remains to be seen. Easwaran could finally be handed his long-awaited Test debut, or the team management might opt for Sudharsan with an eye on the Test at Headingley will certainly shed some light on what the management is thinking in the post-Rohit-Kohli era. Must Watch
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Sai Sudharsan makes debut on same date as Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli; Karun Nair returns after eight years
The transition phase is finally here. India enter a Test series without the tried and tested Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin following their retirements from the longest format. In the first Test of the five-match series against England in Headingley, Leeds, India captain Shubman Gill will be batting at No.4 while KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal will be opening the batting. Sai Sudharsan will be making his Test debut as he is slotted in to bat at No.3, while Karun Nair makes his comeback into the Test playing XI after eight years. Sai Sudharsan is the 317th Test player for India. The left-handed batter Sai Sudharsan received his Test cap from Cheteshwar Pujara. It must be mentioned that Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly made their Test debuts against England on June 20, 1996. On the same date in 2011, Virat Kohli also made his debut against the West Indies. The right-handed batter, who scored a double hundred for India A in the first unofficial Test against England Lions, is slotted to bat at No.6. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is slotted to bat at No.5 while Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur have been named in the playing XI as bowling all-rounders. Also Read: IND vs ENG LIVE Updates: Sai Sudharsan receives Test cap, debut confirmed Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna are playing as the three out-and-out pacers for the first Test in Headingley. It must be mentioned that Bumrah has already made it clear that he would be playing just three Tests in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, as the focus remains on managing his workload. In the first Test at Headingley, England captain won the toss and opted to bowl first. At the time of the toss, Shubman Gill said, 'We would have bowled first as well.' 'We have gone with three fast bowlers and Shardul Thakur. Sai is making his debut and Karun Nair returns to the lineup,' he added. On the other hand, Ben Stokes said, 'We'll bowl. Headingley is a very good cricket wicket, we've had some really good games here. Want to try and use the early conditions. Been a long time coming, bit strange that this is just the second series but we're ready. It's been mixed, some lads have played county cricket, we've had three days of really good cricket.' Both England and India players are wearing black armbands as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives in the Air India plane crash. India playing XI for the first Test: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill ©, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna. England playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Ben Stokes ©, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘Life has come full circle in England': Comeback man Karun Nair ahead of first ENG vs IND Test
When India takes on England in the first Test at Headingley in Leeds, it will also potentially mark the end of an eight-year wait for Karun Nair to make a comeback into the national side. The middle-order batter believes his life has 'come to a full cricle' after having been dropped from the Indian Test team in England to making a comeback in England after eight long years. 'Life has come a full circle because I went out of the team in England and now I'm coming back into the team in England. So it's been a while and I'm trying to embrace that,' said Nair ahead of the first Test to The Karnataka batter who now represents Vidarbha in the domestic circuit, justified his India call-up after scoring a double century for India A in the unofficial Test against England Lions in Canterbury. 'My first thought when I woke up was I want to play Test cricket, I want to play for India again. That's probably what kept me going and kept me hungry. The driving force, go to training every day, go to practice every day. I had a goal of I want to play Test cricket again and I was always looking at playing Test cricket and every day, every morning I used to wake up thinking what should I do to reach that goal,' said Nair. Nair is expected to fill the void in the middle-order after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirements from this format last month. 'Never losing that belief and having that target to reach was something that helped me. Feeling honoured to wear this jersey and honoured to be representing my country. When I saw everyone for the first time, that's when I really, you know, felt it that I'm finally in the team. Till then it was like a wait for me to kind of start feeling like I've made it again. It's been a few years, I used to always watch everyone on TV, now to be back again in this dressing room feels amazing. You know, getting that first session under the belt was relief, grateful to get that opportunity,' he said. An emotional yet confident Nair said he is now more forgiving of himself and more patient in life. 'Enjoying the feeling of being with everyone. Enjoying the feeling of wearing this jersey. Just going out there and having fun with everyone in the group and trying our best to win games for our country. Mentally, I'm more patient and I'm more forgiving of myself. I've learnt to enjoy small things a little more. You know, not trying to be someone that I'm not. I've always tried to keep it very simple. Always think about the positive and have certain goals in mind, visualise thing and have real belief in what you visualise,' he said.
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
'Playing alongside those two is very comforting': Karun Nair plots Test redemption with oldest allies in India squad
Comeback king Karun Nair has been one of the main attractions for Indian Test cricket fans in this post-Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma era. Nair's comeback comes eight years after he last played in the format for India. Nair also justified with his return by scoring a double century for India A, in their preparatory unoffcial Test vs England Lions in Canterbury. In the upcoming Test series in England, which is scheduled to begin on Friday in Leeds, Nair is expected to be part of a new-look top-order, which won't have Kohli and Rohit, who annoucned their retirements from the format recently. Speaking ahead of the first Test, Nair opened up on his comeback after stunning domestic performances. Speaking to he said, 'My first thought when I woke up was I want to play test cricket, I want to play for India again. That's probably what kept me going and kept me hungry. The driving force, go to training every day, go to practice every day. I had a goal of I want to play test cricket again and I was always looking at playing test cricket and every day, every morning I used to wake up thinking what should I do to reach that goal.' 'Never losing that belief and having that target to reach was something that helped me. Feeling honored to wear this jersey and honored to be representing my country. 'When I saw everyone for the first time, that's when I really, you know, felt it that I'm finally in the team. Till then it was like a wait for me to kind of start feeling like I've made it again. It's been a few years, I used to always watch everyone on TV, now to be back again in this dressing room feels amazing. You know, getting that first session under the belt was relief, grateful to get that opportunity. Life has come a full circle because I went out of the team in England and now I'm coming back into the team in England. So it's been a while and I'm trying to embrace that.' Nair also rejoiced the fact that he would be sharing the dressing room with KL Rahul and Prasidh Krishna, revealing that they have played together since childhood. 'I try to keep it very simple, always think about the positive, have certain goals in mind, visualize things and have real belief in what you visualize. Playing alongside Rahul and Prasidh is also a very comforting factor. We've played cricket for so many years since probably we were young kids and grew up together,' he said. Nair's return comes after he registered 863 runs at 53.93 for Vidarbha's Ranji Trophy-winning team. Before that, he smacked five tons in eight innings at an average of 389.50 at the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
'Selectors shouldn't repeat the mistake': Mohammad Kaif warns Gautam Gambhir ahead of 1st Test; all eyes on India's playing XI vs England
India coach Gautam Gambhir during a nets session. (Photo by) NEW DELHI: As India gear up for the opening Test of the five-match series against England at Headingley, Leeds, all eyes are on the playing XI. With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma having stepped away from red-ball cricket, this tour signals a new era under the youthful leadership of Shubman Gill . Among the front-runners for the pivotal batting position is Sai Sudharsan, whose explosive IPL form and fearless stroke play have catapulted him into national reckoning. However, veteran domestic performer Abhimanyu Easwaran stands as a compelling alternative. With nearly 8,000 first-class runs and 27 centuries to his name, Easwaran represents a tried-and-tested option in swinging English conditions. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif weighed in strongly on the matter. Taking to social media, Kaif cautioned head coach Gautam Gambhir not to overlook proven performers. 'Abhimanyu Easwaran deserves to be in the playing XI before Sai Sudarshan. Easwaran's 27 first-class hundreds, almost 8k FC runs need to be respected. By dropping Sarfaraz, someone who scored runs for India A in England, selectors made a mistake. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Didcot: If You Were Born Between 1940-1975 You Could Be Eligible For This Life Cover Reassured Get Quote Undo They shouldn't repeat it by keeping Easwaran out of Leeds Test,' Kaif wrote on his official X account,' Kaif wrote. There's also buzz around Dhruv Jurel, who impressed during India A's recent assignments and could offer dual value as a wicketkeeper-batter, depending on team balance. In English Test conditions, more than just recent form, it's adaptability, patience, and grit that count. Each session can present a new challenge — be it cloud cover, seam movement, or late swing. For India's emerging talents, this series is not just about runs and wickets, but about showing character. Poll Do you agree with Mohammad Kaif's opinion on including Easwaran in the starting XI? Yes, he deserves a chance No, I prefer Sudharsan Not sure, need to see performances Both should play India Squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav England Squad: Ben Stokes (C), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes IND vs ENG Test Series Schedule: 1st Test: England v India, 20-24 June 2025, Headingley, Leeds 2nd Test: England v India, 2-6 July 2025, Edgbaston, Birmingham 3rd Test: England v India, 10-14 July 2025, Lord's, London 4th Test: England v India, 23-27 July 2025, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester 5th Test: England v India, 31 July-4 August 2025, Kia Oval, London Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
