The Tamilian from Bengal, Abhimanyu Easwaran
“He will play for India some day,” remarked Vatsal Nahata, a first-year undergraduate student at the Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi. I had just got done interviewing a young cricketer in the Bengal Ranji team, and thought of asking Nahata what he felt about his former teammate. There was pride in Nahata’s voice as he went on to describe a certain Abhimanyu Easwaran.
Abhimanyu Easwaran is 20, and is already being touted as Bengal cricket’s future. He burst on to the scene with some stunning performances against strong teams like Mumbai and Tamil Nadu, a year after his debut first-class season in 2013/14 and there’s been no looking back since.
Son of RP Easwaran, a Chartered Accountant by profession - Abhimanyu was born to live his father’s dream, like hundreds out there. Life couldn’t have been better, there was a hustling bustling cricket academy set up by his father 6 years before he was even born. There was comfort, there was convenience, but Abhimanyu chose to remain uncomfortable and gave his everything, every time.
After travelling across the country representing various clubs, Abhimanyu landed in Kolkata ten years ago. Bengal was a land where his Hindi & English got him through, till the half-Tamilian decided to learn Bengali. “It’s important to know the local language,” he quips. “It allows you to discuss strategies in the middle without giving them away.”
Abhimanyu worked his way up the Bengal cricketing hierarchy, representing Bengal at the U16 and U19 levels, where other youngsters like Nahata joined him. However, unlike Nahata, Easwaran never had an iota of doubt that he wanted to pursue a career in cricket. For him, risking his academic future on a game where odds of success are skewed, was a plunge worth taking.
“I didn’t really think about it (academics being affected) back then. As a kid you don’t think of these things, I just loved the game and wanted to pursue it,” Abhimanyu says, adding that it was of immense help that Bengal cricket was structured in a manner that even “outsiders” like him had a good chance of making it to the state team.
In fact, it was RP Easwaran who decided that Bengal was the place for his son, for this very reason. Abhimanyu considers his father to be a great support system, “Dad gave me all the opportunities, perhaps the best facilities any young cricketer could aspire for.” Easwaran Sr. is a pragmatic person, and had advised Abhimanyu not to worry too much about the India U19 call-up last year.
Even though Abhimanyu was among the probables, the final squad was more of a formality with most of the players selecting themselves by virtue of being around longer. Today, Abhimanyu doesn’t regret not making it. “What’s happened has happened,” he says. “One needs to look at the future to succeed...”
Watershed moments in Easwaran’s fledgling career
The first signs of Abhimanyu’s success came in the 2013/14 Ranji Quarter-final versus Railways, where he batted for more than four hours for a gritty 65. Bengal were reeling at 3/2 at a stage, and opener Abhimanyu stitched a 163 run partnership with young Sudip Chatterjee. It was a tenacious effort by all standards, especially for a boy with just two first-class games under his belt.
Bengal went on to win that game and made it to their first semi-final since 2006/07. The watershed moment though came a year later when a certain Shardul Thakur of Mumbai cricket was wrecking havoc at the Eden Gardens. Mumbai had posted an impressive 414 in the first-innings thanks to a magical 153 by Shreyas Iyer. Walking in at 42/4 could never have been easy. And Abhimanyu admits how difficult it was – his only solace, the experienced Manoj Tiwary was batting at the other end.
“I was in a good space mentally, and had clarity in what was needed to be done.” There was a clear strategy in place to mitigate the risk the Mumbai bowlers were posing – “We were planning to stick around and build a partnership as a single big partnership can change the match drastically. We were breaking the session down into smaller periods like planning till the next drinks break, the focus was to try and keep it simple.”
Easwaran hung on till the end, and was the last man dismissed for 85. Yet again it was a four and a half hour long effort, but it couldn’t save Bengal from following on.
These long hauls were the trademark of a cricketer Abhimanyu greatly idolizes. It was almost impossible to dismiss Rahul Dravid when he was set and batting, and that’s one of the many things Abhimanyu has learnt from his idol.
“I liked the way Rahul sir batted, I liked his attitude and how he approached his game. Loved watching him play,” Abhimanyu retorts. When asked if he harbours hopes of playing under his idol in an India-A team, the answer comes before the question finishes, “Of course!”
Abhimanyu believes that hanging in there for long hours is a great service to the team as new batsmen often feel more confident when they see a set batsman at the other end. Like he puts it, “The objective is always to bat long, try to take the lead or achieve the target for the win.”
Can undermine neither a Dravid nor a Sehwag: Easwaran
In an age where people get stereotyped easily, it is difficult for cricketers to not fall prey to that. I raise the example of Wriddhiman Saha, who in spite of having the best of averages in first-class and one-day cricket gets written off just because he isn’t flamboyant enough – many suggest that others are more worthy of his spot.
Abhimanyu agrees with me, “If you see a Wriddhiman Saha, who is doing well for the Test team – you can't really question his place. If Dhoni wasn't playing one-day, I am sure Saha would have also been the first person to replace him in the one-day team as well. Saha has been superb in the one-day format, gotten IPL hundreds, that too in the final. I just hope that the selectors don't go by these perceptions and select the best, and the most deserving people.”
Perceptions are often created because of certain impressions, like the impression that Abhimanyu is simply an accumulator of runs. Some feel that he might not be suited for T20, to which he says, “I always play to the situation. I did well in the U19 T20s last year, hopefully this year I can make my Twenty20 debut and prove my worth.”
Abhimanyu’s emphasis on how it’s alright for batting styles to differ from player to player remains constant throughout, as he opposes the act of wrongly stereotyping people. “You can’t ask a Dravid to bat like a Sehwag, but you can’t undermine the value provided by either of them” he mildly suggests, putting the debate to rest.
As Abhimanyu gears up for his Ranji encounter against Vidarbha on Saturday, he continues to be in good space. Despite injuries, he has got the backing of the team management this season and sees himself making his List-A and Twenty20 debut later this year.
There’s always a buzz surrounding him every time he plays and it’s not just his teammates who see the future India cricketer in him. Does it put pressure on young Abhi? “I don’t read too much into these things, for the moment it just feels good to be backed as a youngster. The backing gives me confidence. It also gives me belief.” The Tamilian from Bengal signs off.