AUS vs IND: Prithvi Shaw trains hard in the gym ahead of the 2nd Test
India’s opening batsman Prithvi Shaw is unlikely to feature in the second Test game against Australia, starting from December 26 in Melbourne after his horrendous outing in the first pink-ball Test of the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy at the Adelaide Oval. Shaw had failed to score runs in both the innings and was brutally roasted for the same.
Though India’s whole batting line-up had collapsed in the second innings as the visitors succumbed to a humiliating defeat by 8 wickets, Shaw is under major scrutiny for his faulty techniques and similar mode of dismissals.
In the first innings, Shaw had to go back to the pavilion in the very first over of the match after bagging a duck. The right-hander had attempted to play a wide delivery from Mitchell Starc only to find an inside edge on to his middle stump. Something similar had happened in the second innings too as he scored four runs off as many balls before he fell prey to fast bowler Pat Cummins.
Prithvi Shaw gearing up
Seeing both the dismissals of the Thane-born, many cricket pundits reckoned that Shaw will have to change his batting technique otherwise he is bound to struggle at the international level. As of now, Prithvi Shaw has featured in just 5 games for the Indian team in Whites and has amassed a whopping 339 runs at a stunning average of 42.4.
Though Prithvi’s selection in the second Test against Australia is highly doubtful, he is leaving no stone unturned to make sure he is physically fit and fine for any opportunities that will come his way in the future. The opening batsman is training hard in the gym as seen in the video uploaded on the story of the official Instagram handle of the Indian cricket team.
Indian team to make a lot of changes in their playing XI
After suffering a major setback in the Adelaide Test, India are expected to make as many as five changes in their Playing XI for the Melbourne game, starting from December 26. The opening batsman Prithvi Shaw who is having a torrid run may be dropped from the team to pave the way for young Shubman Gill at the top.
In the same light, Rishabh Pant, who had a great season last time India had toured Australia, can be added in the team in place of Wriddhiman Saha as the wicketkeeper-batsman while Ravindra Jadeja can replace Hanuma Vihari. Also, the visiting nation will be forced to make two changes in the form of KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj as Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami are unavailable for the rest of the series.
