Prithvi has the world at his feet
YOUNGEST TO SCORE CENTURY ON TEST DEBUT RAJKOT TEST Becomes fourth youngest to score a ton on debut, powers India to 364/4 on Day One against West Indies
When Sachin Tendulkar was exiting international cricket after playing his last Test series — against West Indies in 2013 — little did the Calypso Kings know that there was a 14-year-old from Mumbai who would become their tormentor in the years to come. Five years after Prithvi Shaw struck 546 in a minor cricket competition, within days of Tendulkar calling it a day in 2013, the Mumbai batsman emerged a potential successor to the legendary batsman’s legacy on Thursday, smashing 134 on Test debut.
The 18-year-old Shaw, one of the architects of India’s title triumph in the U-19 World Cup last year, marched into the annals of Test history, becoming the fourth youngest batsman to score a century on debut, powering the home team to 364/4 at stumps on Day One of the opening Test against the West Indies.
Shaw, who could be the answer to India’s opening woes, did what was expected of him, and aided by Cheteshwar Pujara’s 86 and Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 72, India look set for a mammoth total.
While Shaw gave full respect to West Indies’ in-form bowler Balls taken by Shaw to score his century, the third-fastest by any batsman on Test debut after Shikhar Dhawan and Dwayne Smith. Batsman Mohammad Ashraful (B’desh) Hamilton Masakadza (Zim) Saleem Malik (Pak) Prithvi Shaw (Ind) Mohammad Wasim (Pak) 17 years & 63 days 17 years & 354 days 18 years & 328 days 18 years & 329 days 18 years & 108 days
IPL EXPLOITS
However, Shaw is a multi-faceted player and far from a red ball specialist. He made his IPL debut earlier this year for Delhi Daredevils, featuring in nine of their 14 matches. Two IPL fifties showed his ability to score quickly without being reckless. Only seven players with 200 runs or more had a higher run rate, yet 21 players had a higher attacking shot percentage.
Shaw rose to prominence during this year’s U19 World Cup as he led India to a record fourth title. His 94 against Australia in India’s opening match formed part of an 180-run stand with Manjot Kalra and set his side on their way to a 100-run victory.
SHOT SELECTION
As for Shaw’s technique, he is a compact right-hander who showed throughout the World Cup that he was particularly adept at playing square of the wicket. He played the flick through midwicket six times for 21 runs. He played the pull 13 Shannon Gabriel, he treated with disdain the other bowlers who drifted outside off or targeted his pads. On a hot day at the SCA stadium, he showed his dexterity by playing some delectable strokes both on the front and back-foot.
Call it the exuberance of youth, or having endured the energy sapping Mumbai heat day in, day out for years, Shaw continued to swat the Windies bowlers in the punishing Rajkot heat, even as his senior partner Pujara kept small water bottles in his pockets to rehydrate himself.
West Indies threw everything they had in their arsenal at Shaw, but the young batsman remained unflustered. Making the most of the docile track, and a bowling attack that lacked sting, Shaw Shaw is the 2nd youngest Indian to score a Test ton, behind only Tendulkar (17years & 107 days). times for 31 runs. He played the cut 34 times for 43 runs. Only once was he dismissed playing any of these shots; the sign of an authoritative player who is decisive in his shot selection.
Perhaps the only question remaining from Shaw’s U19 World Cup campaign was whether or not he could play top quality spin.
With the tournament taking place in New Zealand, pitches were not spin-friendly and Shaw only faced 58 balls of spin throughout his five innings (though he was not dismissed once by a spinner in the whole tournament). played his repertoire of strokes, cutting through point, hammering the ball through covers, playing delicate leg-side flicks, straight drives, and the most morale-crushing stoke for a bowler — the lofted bottomhanded shot over the head.
Shaw’s innings had 19 boundaries, the first seven helping him reach his 50 off 56 balls, while the next eight, hit off the next 43 balls, brought up his maiden ton.
Such was Shaw’s aura on Thursday that Pujara had to alter his batting style to keep pace with his young counterpart. On Thursday, Pujara had a healthy strike rate of 66, much higher than his scoring rate during the fourth Test against England at Southampton.
A marathon innings of 235 minutes came to an end when Shaw committed his only mistake on Thursday. Shaw looked to work a Devendra Bishoo delivery on the off-side but the ball seemingly stopped, giving the bowler the easiest 0of catches.
Shaw’s dismissal brought Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane together in the middle, and the pair began on a positive note adding 105 runs after Shaw and Pujara had set the tone with their 206-run stand. Kohli made his 20th Test fifty.
The Windies didn’t have much going for them after Jason Holder missed the Test due to an ankle injury.
RAJKOT:
No. of batsman who have scored a ton on their first-class debut as well as their Test debut -- Shaw, G Viswanath and Dirk Wellham.
KEY NUMBERS
SPIN VS SEAM
However, his Ranji Trophy record suggests he is more than capable of facing slow bowlers on turning pitches. In fact, Shaw’s record against both seam and spin is remarkably similar in Ranji Trophy. All of these factors point to a young player who possesses a game well-rounded beyond his years.
Shaw is evidently an aggressive opener; his First Class run rate of 4.60 runs per over is higher than both Shikhar Dhawan (4.02) and KL Rahul (3.51) have achieved at Test level. Both Dhawan and Rahul are thought of as attacking opening batsmen yet Shaw appears to have the ability, the confidence and the intent to play the role of the aggressor. For reference, Virender Sehwag’s run rate in Tests was 4.93 runs per over.
There is no doubting Shaw’s talent but he will be under pressure to perform immediately at the top of the order.
The opening partnership is an area of the team that India’s selectors have been particularly twitchy about in recent years: eight different pairs involving six different players have been used in Tests since the start of 2016. Shaw could be the answer.