With captain Rohit Sharma likely to be ruled out from the upcoming two-match Test series in Bangladesh, Bengal batter Abhimanyu Easwaran will reportedly join the India squad as his injury cover. Rohit injured his thumb while fielding in the slip cordon during the 2nd ODI against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Easwaran has scored consecutive centuries while leading an India A squad in a two-match unofficial Test series against Bangladesh A in Sylhet.
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“Abhimanyu Easwaran has scored back to back hundreds in ongoing A Test series and is an opener. In all likelihood, he will join the squad in Chattogram after finishing his second A Test in Sylhet,” a senior BCCI source told news agency PTI on conditions of anonymity.
The 27-year-old Easwaran has played 77 First-Class matches so far and scored 5419 runs in them while averaging 44.41. He has 17 centuries and 23 half-centuries to his name.
Rohit immediately went off the field after the injury with blood dripping from his thumb. He went to the hospital for scans and returned to bat at no 9 to hit a blistering half-century but couldn’t prevent a five-run defeat as Bangladesh took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
“It (thumb injury) isn’t too great. Some dislocation and some stitches. Fortunately, not a fracture and so, I was able to bat,” Rohit said during the post-match presentation.
India head coach Rahul Dravid later revealed Rohit took a couple of injections to be able to bat. “It was phenomenal for him to show that level of courage. He had a serious dislocation and had to go to the hospital to set that right. Stitches in his hand, and a couple of injections to be able to just go out and bat. But credit to him, he was really determined to go out and have a go and take a chance and it was amazing how close he brought us with that innings,” Dravid said.
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