Prithvi Shaw Stars On Comeback With Aggressive Fifty For Mumbai In Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

Prithvi Shaw made a grand comeback to cricket with a blazing 63 off 39 balls and shared an opening partnership of 138 with Aditya Tare as Mumbai notched up a fantastic score of 206/5 against Assam in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at the Wankhede stadium on Sunday. Shaw, who was banned for eight months for failing a dope test during the same tournament earlier in the year, was intent on proving a point on his return and he responded in stunning fashion. Assam chose to bowl but the move immediately backfired with Tare and Shaw taking the aggressive route. The right-hander employed the pull and cut shot effectively and Assam did not help themselves with some sloppy fielding. With every shot, the confidence in Shaw grew.

On 32, Shaw miscued a lofted shot straight down the ground off Riyan Parag but the fielder dropped the chance and he made them pay immediately by depositing Parag over long on for a six. Shaw reached his fifty and made a telling statement by pointing to his bat and signalling with the gloves that his bat would do all the talking from now on. At the other end, Tare kept finding the boundary at regular intervals. Shaw, though, was finally taken by Parag and he departed for a brilliant 63 off 39 balls with seven fours and two sixes. Assam took a few quick wickets but a blitz from Siddhesh Lad, who hit three sixes and one four in his 14-ball knock of 32, helped Mumbai get to 206/5.

On November 9, when Shaw had turned 20, he had assured that his 2.0 version would be displayed. "I turn 20 today. I assure it will be Prithvi Shaw 2.0 going forward. Thank u for all the good wishes and support. Will be back in action soon. #motivation #hardwork #believe," he had tweeted on his birthday. Shaw, who made a memorable Test debut for India against the West Indies, last played in the Indian Premier League.

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The BCCI had banned the 19-year-old from all forms of the game till November 15 for failing a dope test. The teenager had inadvertently consumed a banned substance terbutaline without availing Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) certificate. Shaw had provided a urine sample as part of the BCCI's anti-doping testing programme during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on February 22, 2019 in Indore. His sample was subsequently tested and found to contain terbutaline.

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