Ganguly’s pick for India’s No.3 in Tests isn’t Iyer or Nair — it’s a forgotten name with unfinished business.
The talk around Abhimanyu Easwaran India Test No.3 bid has picked up steam — and it’s come from none other than Sourav Ganguly himself. With India’s top order mostly settled after the England series, the No.3 slot remains a sore spot, and Ganguly believes Easwaran is the right man to fix it.
In a 2-2 Test series draw against England, debut skipper Shubman Gill saw most of his batters stand up — Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, even Rishabh Pant chipped in. But Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan, who were both given a look-in at No.3, failed to leave a mark. Despite murmurs that Shreyas Iyer could be recalled for the role, Ganguly has suggested a different direction.
“He has age on his side. I still believe he will get his chance,” Ganguly said, speaking at an event in Kolkata. “It’s only the No. 3 slot that looked a bit fragile. Maybe Easwaran will be tried out there.”
That statement was enough to fuel the Easwaran conversation again — a name that keeps surfacing but never quite breaks through.
The 28-year-old Bengal opener has been a perennial presence in Test squads without debuting — called up for the Bangladesh series in 2022, and again for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the England series. Yet, he remains uncapped.
His father, Ranganath Easwaran, added emotional weight to the story. Speaking to journalist Vicky Lalwani, he said Gautam Gambhir had assured his son a “long rope.” “My son is waiting for 4 years. He’s put in 23 years of hard work,” he said.
The Abhimanyu Easwaran India Test No.3 campaign might not be media-hyped, but it now has Ganguly’s weight behind it — and that changes the equation.