Abhimanyu Easwaran fires shots at Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid namedropping Sarfaraz Khan

India and England are clashing in a five-match Test series where they are currently playing the fourth Test at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association in Ranchi where England is currently ahead in the game.

Akash Deep made his debut in this match and took three wickets in the first innings to announce himself on the big stage. He was brilliant with the new ball and took the wickets of Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Zak Crawley.

India A skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran has hailed Sarfaraz Khan and Akash Deep as proof that Ranji is on par with Test cricket. Talking to India Today about Sarfaraz Khan he said that the 26-year-old batter was the most deserving candidate amongst the India A players, to get a call-up for the national team.

Sarfaraz Khan impressed everyone with his performance in the third Test of the series which was his debut where he scored 62 and 68* in respective innings.

“I feel so happy for Sarfaraz Khan. I have seen him up close since childhood and he has been stunning in the last three seasons of Ranji Trophy. He has been fantastic, scoring runs in 90 percent of the matches. He was so good in the Rajkot Test and would have scored a hundred if he had not gotten run out,” Abhimanyu Easwaran said.

“We all felt in the India A side that he deserved to be in the Indian team. And make no mistake, the Ranji Trophy standard is really high. Look at Sarfaraz, he looked like a finished product on his Test debut. He had no problems to bat at that level. So ya, we look at him and go ‘He is performing so well, we can too, because we are also grinding at the same level,” Abhimanyu Easwaran added.

Abhimanyu Easwaran is happy for Bengal teammate Akash Deep

“Amazing for Bengal, I was expecting him (Akash Deep) to make a debut in the Ranchi Test. To see him get the cap from Rahul Dravid was amazing. From the time he came to Bengal, he has been outstanding. I think he is one of the most hardworking people I know. He has bowled amazingly on Day 1, I was really excited to see him,” Abhimanyu Easwaran said.

Talking about the standards of the Ranji Trophy, Abhimanyu Easwaran said that it is constantly improving because of players coming back to play domestic cricket after grinding in the cash-rich IPL for a couple of months. He also revealed the biggest challenge in the Ranji Trophy saying that you get to play on different kinds of tracks.

“Ranji Trophy is constantly improving because a lot of players are going into the IPL and then coming back to play domestic cricket. The biggest challenge in the Ranji Trophy is that out of 7 matches, you will play 3 on green track, 2 on turners and maybe 2 on flat pitches. Nobody plays for 3 points anymore, everyone is looking to win the four-day game,” Abhimanyu Easwaran said over a telephonic interview.

Currently, England is a bit ahead in the ongoing fourth Test in Ranchi as they are brilliant with the ball and India is on the verge of getting all out without taking a lead. England put up 353 on the board laying back on the century of Joe Root. Joe Root has been brilliant in the first innings returning to his natural game and scoring an unbeaten 122 to take the team past 350.

India has not lost a Test series at home since 2012 and they are expecting to win the ongoing Test series against England. The hosts are currently leading the five-match series by 2-1 and are hoping to seal the series by winning the ongoing Test in Ranchi.