Don’t turn your back on Prithvi Shaw

“You can’t be serious to play Prithvi Shaw as a Test opener” and “Sack Prithvi Shaw from the Indian team. NOW!”

A microcosm of the relentless criticism received by the 21-year-old Indian opener on Twitter after the first Test at the Adelaide Oval. After registering scores of just 0 and 4, the jury was out on Prithvi Shaw. All of a sudden, commentators and pundits alike were quick to point out the technical flaws in his batting, with none other than Shane Warne declaring on social media that, “Shaw will struggle at this level with that technique.” Sunil Gavaskar was equally swift to point out his “big gap between bat and pad,” whilst live on television, his IPL coach Ricky Ponting used slow-motion replays to show the flaws with his front foot.

Amidst all the criticism, Shaw took matters into his own hands and responded with a cryptic message on his Instagram page, which read: “If sometimes people demotivate you for something you try to do, that means you can do that but they can’t.” One would assume he was talking about those on Twitter, rather than the likes of Ponting, Warne and Gavaskar.

After five Tests, Shaw averages 42.38. With numbers like that, the reception seems unreasonable. Let’s have a quick look at his career journey to date:

Prithvi Shaw made his debut against West Indies in October 2018, at the tender age of 18, and India appeared to have found a gem. Having been fast-tracked into the Test set-up after leading the U19 side to World Cup victory earlier that year, Shaw decimated the West Indian attack with a 134-run onslaught coming off just 154 balls. After this, Sachin Tendulkar weighed in on the talented youngster: “I feel he has the knack to adapt to different situations and conditions. To me, that is Prithvi’s biggest strength.” He went on to add that this century “cements his spot in the team and helps announce to the world that he belongs here.” That is high praise indeed from a man who knows a thing or two about batting.

Fast forward to the second Test, and Shaw made a quickfire 70 (53) and 33* (45) and was awarded Player of the Series. Now admittedly – on flat tracks at Rajkot and Hyderabad – these were not the toughest conditions and his runs came against an understrength bowling attack, but nobody scored more than him in the series; his far more experienced opening partner KL Rahul, who could only muster up 37 runs in his three innings.

It looked as though India had found the long-term solution to their top-order quandaries. So much so that India coach Ravi Shastri said: “He is a spectator’s delight. There is a bit of Sachin there, a bit of Viru (Virender Sehwag) in him and when he walks, there is a bit of Lara as well.” A player simultaneously resembling Tendulkar, Lara and Sehwag is surely going to succeed at the highest level, or, at least be given a consistent run of opportunities?

Well since then Shaw suffered an injury to his ankle and was involved in a doping scandal, with his next opportunity coming in February 2020 away to New Zealand. In the first Test, India were bowled out for 165 and 191, with Shaw only able to make 16 and 14. In the second Test, he scored a 50 in the first innings, and 14 in the second as India were bowled out for 242 and 124. Now those numbers are nothing to shout about, but batting conditions were tough, and in eight innings 300 was passed just once. For comparison, Kohli’s scores in that same series were 2, 19, 3 and 14.

Before this series with Australia, that left Shaw with 335 runs at 55.83 and a formidable strike rate of 86.34 from four Test matches. If that isn’t enough, he is just 21 years old.

In the build-up to the Adelaide Test, all that could be talked about was whether or not Shaw would be able to maintain his spot in the side. Why?
One of the largest problems Shaw faces is that of a direct comparison with the more classical Shubman Gill. Team-mates at the U19 World Cup in 2018, Gill starred, finishing as the Player of the Tournament.

Whilst Shaw made his international bow first, Gill’s stock continued to rise. A first-class average exceeding 70, coupled with two years of consistent IPL performances made his Test debut feel increasingly inevitable, with fans and pundits calling for him to play that first Test. Now whilst Gill is more classical, he still stands similarly leg-side of the ball. It is equally necessary not to be blinded by his youth, as a couple of failures could lead to similar conversations being held about him. Shaw was a victim of an easily made comparison with his contemporary, which made dropping him far more justifiable than if we look at Shaw purely in isolation.

On top of that, between the away series to New Zealand and this one, the only cricket he played was in the IPL. He had a poor tournament, accumulating a modest 228 runs, and in his last seven matches only managed 40, including three ducks. But as everyone knows, limited overs form, particularly the shortest format, is no comparison to the Test arena—they are very different games. On top of that, COVID-19 has been a struggle for everyone, and professional sportsmen are no exception. This is often something that fans have failed to recognise. Whilst they are paid to perform at the highest level, they are still human beings like the rest of us.

Shaw did look uncomfortable against Cummins and co., but many don’t. His scores were nought and four, but that four actually left him as their joint third-highest scorer in their infamous second innings effort. Unfortunately for him, something as embarrassing as 36 all out will inevitably create scapegoats, but only a small portion of the blame could rest on Prithvi Shaw’s shoulders.

Perhaps it is the fact that he doesn’t quite fit the classical and traditional style that almost all legends in the subcontinent have maintained in the past. No matter what it is, to definitively judge a player – whose talent is unquestionable – with such a small sample size, is harsh and unfair.

It doesn’t take much to realise that even the greatest players needed time to fully battle with the mental and physical struggles of Test match cricket. It is extremely rare for a player that young to consistently churn out big scores without any failures in the middle.

Take Virat Kohli for example, after his first six Test matches – against West Indies and Australia – he averaged just 21.27, with his only two 50s coming in the same Test against the former. In his first two Tests against Australia, he scored 11, 0, 23 and 9. After four Tests, Brian Lara’s average was 30.50, and in Shane Warne’s first Test series, his figures were 1-228. Shaw’s average currently sits at 42.38.

Whilst nobody knows exactly how Prithvi Shaw’s career might pan out, the reactionary criticism is most definitely unwarranted. A player that young, and with stats like his, deserves an extended run of opportunities to prove himself on the big stage. The decision to drop him is somewhat justifiable, especially considering the option of Shubman Gill waiting in the wings, however this is pointed more towards the extent of the criticism he has received, and merely to suggest that to judge a player so quickly and harshly is only detrimental to the cause.