3 reasons why One Day Cup stint is good for Prithvi Shaw
Mumbai batter Prithvi Shaw made the headlines when he finalized a deal to represent Northamptonshire in the ODI Cup from August 1 to September 16. It will be the first English county stint for the opening batter.
Shaw has been out of favor for national selection, having missed out on the West Indian white-ball side. The 23-year-old also could not find a place in the Indian squad for the 2023 Asian games, consisting predominantly of second-string players.
Following an incredible start to his career, including a century in his Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy debut in the 2016-17 season, Shaw also led the Indian U19 team to World Cup glory in 2018. This led to the attacking batter's selection to the national side, where he scored a breathtaking century against the West Indies on Test debut in 2018.
However, It has been a downward spiral for Prithvi Shaw as he struggled since his majestic Test debut. He was eventually dropped from the squad after the first Test against Australia in 2020. The talented youngster has also not played for India in the white-ball formats since mid of 2021.
Shaw's misery has been further compounded by his dismal form in the IPL over the past few years. After mediocre 2021 and 2022 seasons, the Mumbai batter endured a horrendous time in the 2023 tournament, averaging 13.25 in eight games before being dropped from the Delhi Capitals side.
The right-hander missed the recently concluded Deodhar Trophy to play County cricket in England. After scoring a scintillating 39-ball 65 in the warm-up game, Shaw scored a solid 34 off 35 deliveries on debut before being bizarrely dismissed hit-wicket.
While the decision has contrasting opinions among experts and fans, let us look at three reasons why the ODI Cup stint with Northamptonshire is good for Prithvi Shaw.
#1 Exposure to English conditions and pitches
Conditions in England are considered unique and arguably the most difficult for opening batters. Often greeted by a greenish pitch and varying overhead conditions, opening the batting in English conditions has proven to be the ultimate challenge.
While Prithvi Shaw has played plenty of cricket on Indian pitches where opening the batting is considerably easy, he has not been exposed to the daunting task of opening the batting in England in recent times.
Prithvi Shaw scored 65 in just 39 balls in the 2nd XI match for Northamptonshire. pic.twitter.com/JPKo6aODlY
With a possible eight games and a couple more if his side qualify for the knockout stage of the One-Day Cup, the 23-year-old will get ample exposure to the English conditions that should hold him in good stead for the future. Some of India's all-time greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Virat Kohli came away as better batters after county stints in England.
After a disastrous 2014 series in England, Kohli played for Surrey before the 2018 England tour, resulting in a dramatic turnaround in his fortunes. After averaging less than 14 in 2014, the former Indian skipper averaged a stellar 59.30 in the 2018 Test series in England.
Likewise, Sachin scored over 1,000 runs for Yorkshire in 1992, and Dravid did the same for Kent in 2002. This resulted in the duo enjoying tremendous success against the moving ball throughout their illustrious career.
Prithvi Shaw is the fifth Indian to play for an English county this year after Cheteshwar Pujara (Sussex), Ajinkya Rahane (Leicestershire), Arshdeep Singh (Kent), and Navdeep Saini (Worcestershire).
#2 Get back in the mix for national selection
Despite a poor IPL and Duleep Trophy this year, Prithvi Shaw had been in impressive form until the Ranji Trophy at the start of the year. The Mumbai batter was the second leading run-scorer of the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy last year and the third highest in the Duleep Trophy in 2022.
He also scored 595 runs at an average of 59.50 for Mumbai in the recent Ranji Trophy. However, with several youngsters impressing in the IPL and other domestic competitions, Shaw will have to do something extraordinary to make a comeback into the selection mix for the Indian side.
Hence, a strong showing in the ODI Cup on English pitches may be worth its weight in gold compared to excellent numbers on home soil.
Team India is also heading toward a transition period, with several senior batters like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, among others, unlikely to be around for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup.
Prithvi Shaw must therefore grab the opportunity with Northamptonshire to work his way back into the fold for national selection.
#3 Prithvi Shaw can regain confidence with an improved technique against the moving ball
Aside from the specifics, the One Day stint in England will also help Prithvi Shaw regain his confidence. From being touted as the next big thing to missing out on the Delhi Capitals' playing XI in the second half of the IPL, the opening batter must be at an all-time low in his cricketing career.
As a batter whose instincts are to play an aggressive brand of cricket, confidence and swagger are at a premium. Therefore, it becomes imperative that Shaw scores a truckload of runs for Northamptonshire to restore belief in his ability and skillset.
Furthermore, his struggles against the moving ball in Australia and New Zealand led to question marks over his batting technique and eventual dropping from the Indian team. It could thus serve as a bonus if he can overcome his technical frailties and prosper while opening the batting in English conditions.