The Bengal opener, known for his discipline in the longer format, scratched his way to an uncomfortable 8 off 17 balls before edging behind. The innings was neither fluent nor convincing, a missed chance in conditions he was expected to counter. With the new ball hooping around corners, Easwaran’s tentative footwork and indecision stood out, and not in the way he’d have hoped.

On a damp, overcast morning at Chester-le-Street, India A were sent in to bat on a green-tinged wicket tailor-made for seam and swing. The focus was on Abhimanyu Easwaran, the man leading the side and one who is also among the frontrunners to fill the void left by Rohit at the top of the order. But when the opportunity came, Easwaran failed to leave a mark.