Abhimanyu Easwaran: 'Very few people are this close to being picked for India. That gives me confidence'
The Bengal and India A batter, who recently missed out on being picked for the national side again, is looking to accentuate the positive
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It's all about that dream I had as a kid. Whenever things don't go my way, I just think about why I started playing the game. Because I enjoy it and want to play for the country. Small things like not getting runs in a game won't change the work I've put in for the past 15 years. Or if I don't get picked in a squad, it won't affect my passion or the hard work I'm going to put in going forward. The dream will always be to play for the country and win games. That drives me. No matter what happens, I ensure I wake up every day and do what I should to improve as a cricketer.
Preparation is the key. I feel if I'm well prepared, I go into a game confidently. I try and ensure that I prepare according to conditions. Before the Duleep Trophy, I arrived in Bangalore early and trained at Just Cricket Academy for ten days on similar wickets to the one I was to play on here. I feel if I've prepared according to the conditions, it gives me the best chance to perform in any tournament.
I've been working with Apurva Desai [currently batting consultant at the National Cricket Academy] for ten years now. His input has been massive in trying to help me adapt to different venues and conditions.
No, that's just a perception. I wanted to play all formats.
I've always wanted to be an all-format batter. I played T20s pretty late for Bengal, but I've constantly worked on that side of the game. In the off season I worked on a few shots, which hopefully will come off well this season.
I wasn't expecting it, honestly. If you don't get picked at the auction, you don't think there's a chance. Their fast bowler, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, got injured. You'd think they'd replace him with another fast bowler. But since their batting wasn't going too well, they probably felt like strengthening that department. It was good to be part of the set-up, even if it was just for a few days. Just to see how people go about things - like, how David Warner prepares. They weren't winning a lot of games at that point, but you could see guys wanted to put their hands up and win games.
I didn't get a lot of time to talk to him because he was busy with the entire group. But he was behind the nets, watching us bat, and would appreciate a good shot. He watched me and Priyam Garg [who was also called up] closely. I didn't get really get a chance to speak about my batting or my game, but in the huddle, he welcomed us. It was nice.
I won't say it bothers me. I still have a fair chance to be picked. It's not like this is the last year I'm going to play. I'm just 27, I have enough time. If I get runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Deodhar or Vijay Hazare Trophy, that gives me a good chance. Again, it comes back to preparation and going into the game giving myself the best chance. That's what I am focusing on.
Yes, there have been a few but the one that stands out is from the 2019-20 season. I was made Bengal captain that year for the first time. I'd scored 861 runs in six matches [11 innings] the previous year. I then got a double-hundred for India A, I got a hundred in the Duleep Trophy final. So I was on a high, but I couldn't buy a run the next season. I made 258 runs in ten games, but we were in the final. On the one hand, here's my team doing well and making the final, on the other, I wasn't able to contribute. Not being able to win the title was more disappointing, but to come back from that and get runs, bat the way I do, was special. That phase was challenging.
It sure does. But given the population we have, there are very few people who are this close to being picked for the Indian team. So I'm taking it in a positive way, that I've got to a place not many can. That gives me confidence. If I can keep putting in the work I've done, I'm still pretty close, I could get picked soon.
I got twin hundreds for India A in Bangladesh last December, just prior to the Tests. I did well on the India A tour of South Africa in 2021.
It's as important as what you do on the field. You can't eat what you like and say, "I'll make up for it." There's a balance to maintain. Around 2015-16, I discovered I wasn't feeling too well after breaks. There was a pattern where I used to get out soon after lunch or tea breaks. I found I wasn't so switched on, even though I'd be batting on 50 or 70. I had a chat with a friend who told me about a genetic medical test. That told me I was gluten-intolerant. From that day to now, I have only had gluten probably twice or thrice a year. That's after a tournament finishes and I have a break for more than a week, because I can afford that - I won't be training the next day. That involves atta, maida, soya. I gave up soft drinks ten years ago. I felt the dream is bigger than this. If I don't have Coke, it doesn't matter.
During Covid, I felt there was something I needed to work on, because the seasons were getting longer. I was playing all formats and also for India A, so I didn't have breaks. Usually during the off season, you get a couple of months off, but I wasn't getting that because of India A commitments. I realised the need to get stronger.
Without a doubt. It's an honour to wear that jersey. I still remember when I received the team kit before that England tour in 2021, I just didn't want to take it off all day. I cherish the chats I've had with Virat Kohli on preparation and Cheteshwar Pujara on single-mindedness. Being a part of the Test squad that won at Lord's was a special memory. There was so much passion, so much fire. Shami, Siraj, Bumrah with their tails up… bundling them out inside 60 overs, it was amazing. I think those are situations you train and play for. It was great to be part of a side that won in England. You want to win overseas, at home, everywhere. It's something every cricketer dreams of. Hopefully I'll have that chance soon.
Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo