Abhimanyu Easwaran was “pissed off” after being denied a chance in the Oval Test vs England, but told father Ranganathan he won’t give up on his cricket dream.
When Abhimanyu Easwaran was overlooked for the series opener in Leeds this June against England—despite impressing in the two India A games preceding the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy—his chances of breaking into the XI looked bleak. As the series progressed, the rising chatter among experts advocating for his inclusion gradually died down. But Easwaran believed his long wait might finally end at The Oval.
A spate of injuries had suddenly hit the Indian camp. Following the draw in Manchester, the fourth Test, India had a real chance to avoid a series defeat in London, prompting the team management to explore different combinations for the playing XI.
But much to his bitter frustration, Easwaran was denied again. It left him “pissed off,” his father Ranganathan Parameshwaran Easwaran revealed in a conversation with Vickey Lalwani on his YouTube channel. But only for a short while.
Disclosing details of their telephonic chat after the final Test snub, Ranganathan said his son quickly shifted focus to the upcoming Duleep Trophy, refusing to let the setback derail his long-term dream.
“My son will fly to Bengaluru to prepare for the Duleep Trophy. He’ll spend 10-12 days there, return to Dehradun for a few days, and then head back. He was disturbed after not being picked for the fifth Test—he was expecting that call. I told him, ‘Son, you have lived your dream.’ He replied, ‘I understand. I’ve lived my dream for 23 years, and not getting picked for one or two matches won’t shatter that.'”
Pressed further about the call, Ranganathan added: “He was pissed off because he wasn’t picked. When I called him, he said, ‘Dad, I still haven’t found a place.’”
Easwaran discloses Gambhir chat
Ranganathan also revealed that despite the heartbreak in England of not getting selected, what has kept his son motivated has been his chat with head coach Gautam Gambhir, who has assured him of an opportunity in the Indian team and that he would get a longer rope when he makes his debut and won’t be judged instantly based on 1-2 games.
