In a recent interview with Sportskeeda, two former national selectors shared their insights on India’s opening options for the upcoming Test tour of England. Saba Karim, who served as a selector from 2012 to 2016, and former India off-spinner Sarandeep Singh, who was part of the selection committee from 2016 to 2020, offered their thoughts on the country’s top-order batting options for the series.

The former national selector Saba Karim emphasized the importance of Abhimanyu Easwaran opening the innings for India in the upcoming matches. He highlighted Easwaran’s technical proficiency and ability to rotate the strike effectively. He also talked about the idea of pairing Easwaran with Yashasvi Jaiswal to establish a solid left-right combination at the top. Karim expressed his belief that the team management should place trust in Easwaran’s capabilities and give him the responsibility to perform at the top order for India.

“I believe Abhimanyu Easwaran should be given the chance to open the innings for India. He has been around for a long time, is technically sound, and plays with good discipline. He’s also very adept at rotating the strike and can play some attractive shots. In my view, an opening batsman with these qualities is exactly what India needs. Pairing him with Yashasvi Jaiswal would create a solid left-right combination at the top,” Saba Karim said.

“For this to become a reality, the selectors and team management need to have confidence in him to take on this role. I’m confident he has the ability to perform well for India,” he added

On the other hand, former India off-spinner Sarandeep Singh discussed India’s opening options, noting that while Abhimanyu Easwaran had strong past performances, he hasn’t been in top form recently. Singh recommended taking full advantage of Sai Sudharsan’s excellent form, suggesting that Sudharsan and Yashasvi Jaiswal would make the perfect opening partnership. He also acknowledged Easwaran’s potential but emphasized his role should be limited to opening if included in the squad.

“Abhimanyu Easwaran should have been given an opportunity a couple of years ago when he was in great form and scoring plenty of runs. He hasn’t had much game time recently. If it were up to me, I’d choose Sai Sudharsan to open the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal,” he said with Sportskeeda.