Prithvi Shaw has a bit of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Brian Lara, says Ravi Shastri

India head coach Ravi Shastri sees a bit of cricketing greats Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Brian Lara in 18-year-old Prithvi Shaw. However, he wants the youngster to keep working hard and setting long-term goals for himself. Shaw, who made his Test and international debut during the 2-match Test series against the Windies, was named the Man of the Series for having starred in both Tests.

He announced himself to the Test arena with a sparkling century in Rajkot. The youngster also scored the winning runs for his side in Hyderabad. Shaw was roped into the national side back in England, during the 5-match Test series which India lost 1-4. The right-hander, however, had to wait for his maiden Test cap.

When the selectors picked the side that would play the Windies, Shaw was almost assured of making his debut as both of India’s usual Test openers Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay were dropped. The Mumbai batsman made the most of his opportunity on Day 1 of his Test career, scoring a spectacular 134 on debut.

Speaking after India completed a 2-0 whitewash over the Windies in Hyderabad, head coach, Shastri said, “Shaw was born to play cricket. You can see the years he has already put in at the age of 18. I believe he’s been playing since he was eight. That’s already a decade.”

“When I saw him first, he reminded me a bit of Sachin, and a bit of Viru – and when he walks, there’s a bit of Lara. If he can keep his head on his shoulders and keep the work ethic, he has a bright future,” he added.

It’s a moment of pride for me: Shaw

It has been a tough journey for Prithvi Shaw and his father. As a child, he had to travel for over 3 hours in a day to play his cricket. His father made numerous sacrifices to ensure his son was able to concentrate on the sport. The hard hours paid off as Shaw began to topple records at the school level, and soon broke into higher teams. Earlier this year, he led India U19 to yet another World Cup victory and subsequently received an opportunity to represent his nation in the longest format of the game.

The Man of the Series said, “It was a happy moment for me, finishing a game for India. It’s a moment of pride. My first international series and winning it 2-0 with a man of the series award is a great feeling. Everyone is like a family now – it’s not like a junior and senior situation anymore. I don’t know what’s happening next, I’m just enjoying this moment.”

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