Irani Cup: Abhimanyu Easwaran puts himself in reckoning for India's tour of Australia after unbeaten 151 on Day 3

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Irani Cup: Rest of India opener Abhimanyu Easwaran slammed a hundred and was unbeaten on 151 at stumps on Day 3 of the ongoing Irani Cup match against Mumbai in Lucknow.

The hundred from Easwaran hasn't only kept Rest of India alive in the match after Mumbai's mammoth first innings total of 537, but also opened his chances of featuring in the India squad for the upcoming five-Test series in Australia.

Despite wickets falling from the other end, the right-hander stood rock solid in the middle to complete his hundred of 117 balls. His innings so far consists of 12 fours and a six, and has taken the Rest of India score to 289/4.

The 29-year-old Bengal batter was the captain of India B in the Duleep Trophy 2024. He led the team from the front and slammed two hundreds in three matches. The hundred on Thursday, October 3, was his third in as many matches.

Abhimanyu Easwaran has been part of the India Test squad in the past but has failed to make it to the playing eleven. He was named as Rest of India captain Ruturaj Gaikwad's replacement during the South Africa tour in December last year.

Gaikwad is also one of the contenders for the third opener spot in the Indian Test team for the long tour of Australia which will kick off with the first Test in Perth from November 22.

He was dismissed for nine by Mumbai pacer M Juned Khan on Day 3 of the Irani Cup 2024. He was the captain of India C in the Duleep Trophy where he managed to hit two fifties in six innings.

Reports have emerged that the selectors are preparing Gaikwad for the Australia tour, and hence did not name him in the India squad for the T20I series against Bangladesh starting October 6.

However, the red hot form of Abhimanyu Easwaran, and his timely hundreds are certain to attract the attention of the selectors and the Indian team management.

Captain Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the first-choice opener in the Indian Test team, but a third opener in the squad becomes important in Australia considering the long nature of the tour, and the challenging conditions where chances of injury cannot be ruled out.