The Indian cricket team is going to start the five-Test series against England at Headingley in Leeds on Friday.
This series is special for India, as it is the first Test series after the retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
But with the beginning of this new era, an old controversy has heated up again. Questions are being raised on coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar as to why star batsman Sarfaraz Khan was kept out of the team?
And now another name has been added, that of Abhimanyu Easwaran.
Ind vs Eng 2025: What Went Wrong in Selection?
Sarfaraz, who has been a part of the Test team since last year, did not get a chance this time. Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif called it a big mistake of the selectors.
Kaif clearly said that ignoring Abhimanyu Easwaran in the hurry to give a debut to Sai Sudarshan would be another mistake.
Kaif wrote on his X account, “Easwaran’s 27 first-class centuries and nearly 8,000 runs should be respected. A mistake has already been made by excluding Sarfaraz, now do not keep Easwaran out of the Leeds Test.”
Sai Sudarshan may get a chance to debut in the Leeds Test, but he is competing with Karun Nair in the batting order.
On the other hand, despite Easwaran’s excellent first-class record, it seems difficult to make it to the playing XI.
Shubman Gill will bat at number 4 and Rishabh Pant at number 5, while there is a battle between Sudarshan and Nair for number 3.
Sarfraz Performance in England
Sarfraz had performed brilliantly for India A against England Lions. In the first tour match, he scored 92 runs and along with Karun Nair (who scored a double century), handled the Indian innings.
Sarfraz was also in the team on the Australia tour, but could not play a single Test. Fans and experts are now raising questions that why such a talented player is being ignored again and again?
What do fans say on X?
The anger of the fans on X is clearly visible. Many users are demanding answers from Gambhir and Agarkar.
One user wrote, “When will players like Sarfraz and Easwaran get a chance? When will the selectors improve?”
On the other hand, some fans are supporting Sudarshan, but most believe that Easwaran’s experience could have come in handy on the difficult pitch of Leeds.
