Prithvi Shaw blasts reports of 'indiscipline' during Australia tour

Prithvi Shaw had made a magnificent debut in Test cricket by smashing a hundred against West Indies in Rajkot. The Mumbai youngster was selected in the squad for the four-Test series in Australia. Shaw played the warm-up game against Cricket Australia XI and scored a solid fifty. However, while taking a catch near the boundary, Shaw landed awkwardly and suffered an ankle injury. He was carried off the field and was subsequently ruled out for the entire series. Following his recovery, Shaw played the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy but reports started floating around that he was sent back from the Australia tour due to indiscipline. In an open media interaction conducted by the Delhi Capitals franchise before the IPL, Shaw blasted those rumours and did not get into details about rehabilitation.

“These are rumours, so I will better let it go. No one told me anything about not working hard. I wanted to play but got injured. I thought I could play the third Test (in Melbourne) but then progress of recovery was slow. If you have had a look at my ankle, you would have known that it was really painful. Ankle wasn't healing quickly and I had to return,” Shaw curtly replied.

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Recently, the National Cricket Academy (NCA) has been in the news for the way how player injuries has been mismanaged. Wriddhiman Saha’s shoulder injury was one such instance and it became so problematic that the Indian keeper has had to undergo surgery and get into intensive rehabilitation. However, Shaw thinks otherwise.

“I mean everything was perfect over there (NCA). I did a lot of sessions there. I was working to get fit before Mushtaq Ali T20 as I wanted to get used to the T20 format and then go to the IPL. That's how I had planned my two months of rehab. Trainers and physio were very committed,” Shaw said.

The Mumbai player, who rose to prominence after smashing a record 546 in a Harris Shield game for Rizvi, has had a great start to his India career and he credited coach Ravi Shastri and skipper Virat Kohli for making him comfortable. “I have learnt a lot. I mean I was a bit nervous when I first entered that (Indian) dressing room with players having 10 years of experience sitting in front of me. When the skipper and coach said that there are no seniors or juniors, you then kind of open up and irritate them with your questions,” Shaw said.

The youngster, who helped India win the Under-19 World Cup when they defeated Australia in the final at Mount Maunganui in New Zealand in 2018, also added that he could bat anywhere in the order as required and stressed on the mindset required. “When I open the innings in limited overs, my mindset is different. Two men outside 30-yard circle, powerplay overs but when I am going down the order, it will obviously change. I watch a lot of experienced players. I watch if I go at No 5, what will I do there. It's all about mindset, how you approach that situation,” Shaw said.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Prithvi Shaw scored a century on Test debut against West Indies.
• Prithvi Shaw captained India to the Under-19 World Cup title in New Zealand.
• Prithvi Shaw will feature for the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2019.