Former Australia captain Michael Clarke wishes that the Indian management keep their faith and back Prithvi Shaw, who had fallen out of the national side last year. Shaw, who smacked a century on his Test debut in 2018, has featured in only 5 Tests so far, the last of which was in Australia in December 2020 in Adelaide.
Known for his pyrotechnics at the top of the order, Shaw regained form and went berserk in domestic cricket last season breaking and piling up records with the bat. The right-hander plundered 827 runs at an average of 165 in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2020/21.
He then made his presence felt in the IPL 2021, too, scoring 479 runs at a strike rate of 159, giving Delhi Capitals rapid starts. He was picked for the ODI series and T20Is in Sri Lanka in July and was impressive again. However, he hasn’t been picked in the national team since.
Michael Clarke said that Shaw’s aggressive batting style is akin to that of Virender Sehwag. And that India should back the 22-year-old youngster heading into the future when some of the current senior players retire.
“He is like Sehwag. Sehwag was a genius who took the game forward. For someone like me, I love that type of style. That aggressive batsman at the top of the order, and that’s why Sehwag was one of my favourite cricketers. I would like to see India keep faith in Prithvi,” Clarke said in the documentary ‘ Down Underdogs ‘ on Sony Ten 1.
In his last Test, in Adelaide, Prithvi Shaw was dismissed for 0 and 4, bowled through his gate both times. He has, though, worked on his technique after that and made scintillating returns.
Michael Clarke reckons it was a bit unfair to expect much from a young cricketer playing his first tour in Australia. The 2015 World Cup-winning captain remains confident of Shaw’s comeback.
“It was wrong to expect so much from a young guy. It was just his first tour of Australia, and I am sure he will come good,” Clarke added.
Prithvi Shaw is not selected in the Indian team for the upcoming series against West Indies. He could, though, strengthen his case for a call back to the national side with strong outings in the IPL 2022. The diminutive opener has been retained by the Delhi Capitals for 7.5 crore.
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