The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday announced the squad for the upcoming World Test Championship final and the following the five-match Test series against England. One stark exclusion from the side was Prithvi Shaw, who was in rollicking form with the bat.
Incidentally, the youngster from Mumbai was dropped from the playing XI after his poor returns in the first Test against Australia last year. A lot was talked about his faulty technique and head falling over his shoulder resulting in a big gap between his bat and pad. Prithvi Shaw took it on the chin and worked tirelessly during the rest of the tour and after travelling back to India.
And the result was there to see. The right-handed batter smacked 827 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy at a staggering average of over 150 leading to IPL 2021. Prithvi continued his brilliant form for Delhi Capitals playing some breathtaking knocks for his franchise. He got out cheaply on two occasions and incidentally, Delhi lost both of those games. On the back of his brilliant show, many expected Prithvi Shaw to earn a call back to the Test squad. But surprisingly, he was left out.
Prithvi Shaw needs to loose a few kilos
Meanwhile, a BCCI source has revealed that the selectors want him to reduce some weight before he gets back to the Indian team. The source, who was quoted by the Times of India, also said that he has the example of Rishabh Pant to learn from.
“Prithvi is still very slow across the turf for a 21-year-old. He needs to shed a few more kilos. He also had concentration issues while fielding in Australia. Shaw has been working hard since he returned from Australia. He has the example of Rishabh Pant right in front of him. If Pant can turn things around in a few months, Prithvi too can do it,” the BCCI source said.
The source further added that Prithvi Shaw needs to continue perform in this fashion to keep himself in the reckoning for a national berth.
“He has to sustain this form for a few more tournaments. He has often been picked on the basis of one good series and then he has struggled in international cricket, He is too good a player to be ignored for long,” the source added.
