Abhimanyu Easwaran can bat at No. 3 for India: Sourav Ganguly

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has acknowledged that while the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul scored runs in the recent Test series against England, the No. 3 slot appeared fragile. He backed Abhimanyu Easwaran to be given an opportunity soon in the Indian team, as debates continue over his prolonged exclusion.

Easwaran has been part of India’s recent overseas tours to Australia and England, but has yet to make his Test debut. In the 2025 Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy, the opening positions were settled, but the No. 3 role remained unsettled following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and the ouster of veterans like Cheteshwar Pujara.

Throughout the five-match series, India alternated between Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair at the fall of their first wicket, with Easwaran once again confined to the sidelines. Sudharsan managed 140 runs in six innings at an average of 23.33, including two ducks, leaving the position still open for competition. Ganguly stressed that Easwaran still has a realistic chance to stake his claim for the spot.

“He has age on his side. I still believe he will get his chance. I feel batters like Yashasvi, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja have all got runs. It’s only the No.3 slot that looked a bit fragile. Maybe Easwaran will be tried there," Ganguly was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

The Bengal youngster is now targeting another strong domestic season as he looks to challenge Sudharsan and Nair for the No. 3 spot ahead of the upcoming home Tests against the West Indies and South Africa. The 29-year-old has an impressive first-class record, with 7,841 runs from 103 matches at an average of 48.7, including 27 centuries. He will next be seen playing for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2025.

“Gautam Gambhir, when he spoke to my son, he assured him, See you, you’re doing the right kind of things, you’ll get your turn, you’ll get a long run. I’m not the one who will push you out after one or two matches," Easwaran’s father said in a conversation with Vickey Lalwani.

The top-order batter has been in the national setup since the 2021-22 season. He was also part of the Indian squad that featured in the WTC Final against Australia in 2023. Since his call-up, more than 15 players have made their debuts for India, including KS Bharat, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Devdutt Padikkal, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, to name a few.