"Abhishek Sharma Should Play Test Cricket": Ex-India Star
Former India cricketer Suresh Raina said he believes explosive opener Abhishek Sharma should play Test cricket.
Former India cricketer Suresh Raina said he believes explosive opener Abhishek Sharma should play Test cricket and questioned whether IPL franchise owners and state associations are doing enough to encourage young players to embrace the longest format of the game. Raina, a former India white-ball stalwart who also played 18 Tests, made the remarks on former India opener Aakash Chopra's YouTube channel. Speaking on the channel, Raina said Abhishek should be playing Test cricket. He also described 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi as "very young" and raised questions about whether the youngster and his coaches see red-ball cricket as a priority at this stage.
"I feel Abhishek Sharma should play Test cricket. Vaibhav is very young. Does he want to play? What do his coaches think? These are questions. I feel he should play. Are the IPL owners and associations also thinking of this and putting Test cricket in players' minds? Coaches also have a role here," he said.
Abhishek has a decent red-ball record, having scored 1,071 runs in 24 matches and 37 innings at an average of 30.60 and a strike rate of 70.46, with one century and five fifties. He has also taken 20 wickets in the format at an average of over 49, with best figures of 4/136.
Vaibhav, too, despite his white-ball heroics, does not boast an impressive red-ball record yet. He has scored 347 runs in 10 first-class matches and 15 innings at an average of 23.13 and a strike rate of 96.38, with two fifties and a best score of 93. Scores of 92 and 40 for East Zone against Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy semi-final boosted his numbers.
For India U-19 in red-ball cricket, he has scored 331 runs in six Tests and 10 innings at an average of 33.10, with a strike rate of over 136, including two centuries and a fifty.
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Suresh Raina
India Cricket Team