Ravichandran Ashwin has taken a dig at the Indian selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, and head coach Gautam Gambhir, following Abhimanyu Easwaran's impressive T20 century in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025. Ashwin's comments, made on his YouTube channel, were laced with sarcasm, as he urged the selectors to consider Easwaran for the Test side, now that he has proven his mettle in the shortest format of the game.
Easwaran, who leads Bengal in domestic cricket, smashed an unbeaten 130 off just 66 balls against Punjab in a recent SMAT 2025 match. Chasing a mammoth target of 311, Easwaran's knock included 13 fours and 8 sixes. Despite his efforts, Bengal fell short, losing the match by 112 runs. However, Easwaran's individual brilliance shone through, marking his second T20 century and setting a new record for the highest individual score by a Bengal batter in SMAT history.
Ashwin's remarks come amidst growing criticism of the current selection committee, which has been accused of prioritizing white-ball form and IPL performances over red-ball domestic cricket when selecting players for the Test team. "Abhimanyu Easwaran scored a hundred in T20 also now. Now we can get to see him for sure now. Given that he has now scored runs in T20, for sure we will get to see him in the Test team now," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Easwaran has been a consistent performer in first-class cricket for years, amassing 8136 runs in 109 matches at an average of 47.85, including 27 centuries. Despite his impressive record, he has struggled to break into the Indian Test side. He has been a part of the India 'A' setup and has been on the fringes of selection, but a Test debut has remained elusive.
The selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, has faced flak for sidelining experienced domestic performers like Easwaran and Sarfaraz Khan, while giving opportunities to players with limited first-class experience. Head coach Gautam Gambhir has also been under scrutiny for the team's recent performances.
Ashwin's jibe highlights the ongoing debate about the criteria for Test selection and whether enough emphasis is being placed on performances in red-ball cricket. Some argue that the selectors are influenced by a player's IPL success and white-ball skills, even for the Test format. This has led to a perception that players who excel in domestic cricket are being overlooked.
Easwaran's recent T20 century has once again brought his case to the forefront. While it remains to be seen whether this will finally pave the way for his Test debut, Ashwin's comments have certainly added fuel to the fire, raising questions about the selection policies and the opportunities afforded to deserving domestic players. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of recognizing and rewarding consistent performances across all formats of the game.
