IND vs SA: Abhimanyu Easwaran Joins India Squad Ahead Of 2nd Test Against South Africa
Bengal batter Abhimanyu Easwaran has joined the Indian team ahead of the New Year Test against South Africa. He was announced as the replacement of injured Ruturaj Gaikwad but was not available for selection in the first Test which was played at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. South Africa won the first Test comprehensively, beating India by an innings and 32 runs.
The second Test between India and South Africa will be played at the Newlands in Cape Town commencing on January 3. Abhimanyu Easwaran has been in the circuit for a long time but has not made his debut yet. He plays domestic cricket for Bengal and has been one of the most prolific run-getters for his side in the past few seasons. However, a break in the international circuit is still pending for the domestic sensation from Bengal.
Abhimanyu Easwaran has joined the Indian squad and is available for selection for the second Test. He was Bengal???s third-highest run-getter in the Ranji Trophy last season. He scored 798 runs in 14 innings at an average of 66.50. He was with the India ???A??? squad which played two four-day matches against South Africa ???A???. However, it is unlikely that he will feature in the second Test.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma are likely to open the innings again whereas Shubman Gill will come at No.3 and Virat Kohli at No.4. Abhimanyu Easwaran is naturally a top-order batter and all the slots in the Indian top-order look full. If he gets an opportunity in the second Test, he would likely be replacing Shreyas Iyer who bats at No.5 and that is also very unlikely.
India Would Hope To Level The Series In Cape Town
The two teams will clash at the Newlands in Cape Town and the Indian team will look to win the game to improve their PCT in the current WTC cycle. They have a PCT of 38.89 and stand in sixth position behind the likes of Bangladesh and Pakistan. South Africa on the other hand are at the top of the table currently with a 100 PCT.
Rohit Sharma-led side had the opportunity to win the first-ever Test series in South Africa. However, the first Test was completely dominated by the Proteas who registered an innings and a 32-run defeat against India. Dean Elgar was the star performer for South Africa as he scored a brilliant 185 in South Africa???s innings. He was duly supported by David Bedingham and Marco Jansen who scored 56 and 84* respectively.
South Africa are the favourites to clinch the series in Cape Town as they just need to avoid a defeat to win the series. A draw or a loss will mean that India will lose the series and they would hope to win the second Test against the Proteas. Dean Elgar will lead South Africa in the second Test as Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the second Test.
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Abhimanyu Easwaran IND vs SA 2023-24 India National Cricket Team South Africa National Cricket Team
