Prithvi Shaw – Is the change in technique working wonders for the youngster?
Mumbai has produced several batting stalwarts for India over the years. There are legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane to name a few. Hence, whenever there is a new batting talent emerging from Mumbai, there is always hype around him. So was the case with Prithvi Shaw.
His journey started magnificently with the young batsman making an impact with his batting in age-group cricket followed by domestic cricket and eventually international cricket. When he made a century in his Test debut, it seemed that he would also follow the footsteps of the former greats of the Mumbai School of batting. But, somewhere in the middle of the IPL 2020, Shaw seemed to be losing his touch. For someone who was used to scoring big runs regularly, getting out for a string of low scores was a terrible setback.
Technical issues plague Shaw
Delhi Capitals reached the final of the IPL 2020, but Shaw failed to make it to the playing XI. He was dropped after not being able to get a substantial score for some time. On top of that, he was getting out in a similar fashion. After the IPL, he flew with the Indian Test squad for the series in Australia. In the first Test, he was dismissed in the same fashion. The ball nipped back into Shaw and he missed.
“If he does have a chink in his armour it’s the ball which does come back into him…
“Quite often leaves a big gap between bat and pad and that’s where the Aussies will target.” @RickyPonting at his peerless best for the Prithvi Shaw wicket #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/4nh67zBcpU
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 17, 2020
The Indian team dropped him from the playing XI, but the management kept working with the youngster behind the scenes. In Shaw’s case, it was the massive gap between pad and bat which was allowing the ball to nip back enough to get him bowled or LBW.
The comeback
However, the 21-year-old bounced back. He turned around his fortunes just in time before the IPL. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021, he became the first-ever batsman to score more than 800 runs in a season of the tournament. He also helped Mumbai clinch the title, with crucial runs at the top of the order in the knockout stages. He continued his form in the IPL as well. Prithvi Shaw started off the 2021 season with a blazing knock of 72 runs from just 38 balls against Chennai Super Kings.
Elegance. Class. Finesse and then thoda sa “Machayenge” ?#YehHaiNayiDilli #IPL2021 #CSKvDC @PrithviShaw pic.twitter.com/zW46osfWbp
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 11, 2021
Former Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar explained the change in technique which Shaw made in order to overcome his difficulties with the in-swinging ball. Shaw was seen keeping his back elbow slightly closer to his body. By doing that, he was now able to control the bat speed and guide the ball instead of just punching or going hard at the ball. Additionally, because his back elbow was closer to the stomach, it was also allowing him to bring the bat closer to the pad more than ever.
What’s in store for Shaw?
Shaw seems to have overcome his technical issues and that too quite early in his career. He has got runs under his belt. There will be much tougher challenges which the youngster will face in his career. But, a player is defined by his ability to bounce back. For now, it can be assumed that Shaw knows how to bounce back. He knows the process of bringing in changes to his batting stance and style if required. He is extremely strong mentally. All these attributes make him a talent to look forward to. And maybe, it could be the beginning of the greatness of Shaw.
