3 reasons why Prithvi Shaw should not be recalled into the Test team
Since Saturday, there have been reports doing the rounds that young opener Prithvi Shaw might be flown to England as a replacement for Shubman Gill. The latter is set to miss the five-match Test series after sustaining a shin stress fracture.
According to a report in TOI, the team management wants Shaw, who is currently in Sri Lanka, for the Test series in England. After being dropped from the Indian team following a poor Test in Australia, Shaw responded by smashing a record 800-plus runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. A source was quoted as telling the paper in this regard:
"Here is a batsman in absolute form right now, playing an inconsequential series (in Sri Lanka) whereas he can be in England, and the team will have a cushion to fall back on. It's been five days now, and the selectors haven't even blinked yet."
Former Australian player Brad Hogg also suggested that Shaw could bat at No. 3 in the line-up, in case Team India have thoughts of replacing Cheteshwar Pujara.
Why Prithvi Shaw should not be rushed to England
In the wake of reports that Shaw might be flown to England from Sri Lanka for the Test series, we analyse three reasons why that should not happen.
#1 Shaw might not be Test-match ready yet
It is true that Shaw has had a stupendous time with the bat of late. He broke records in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with some stunning batting performances while leading Mumbai. Shaw followed that up with a few stupendous knocks for Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL as well.
Nevertheless, all the above performances have come in limited-overs contests. His last match in the longer version of the game was the Adelaide Test in which he scored 0 and 4. With the Ranji Trophy scrapped last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Shaw did not get a chance to play any First-Class cricket.
There is no doubt about Shaw’s amazing batting talent. But the decision to send him to Sri Lanka was the right one, as he has done well in limited-overs matches. Bringing him into the Test fold in England would be a move fraught with risk, though.
Although he smashed a century on his Test debut against a weak West Indies bowling attack, Shaw has some way to go as a Test opener. His technical deficiencies were brutally exposed in Adelaide. The youngster must be made to go through the grind of domestic cricket and work his way up.
#2 Shaw’s inclusion will send negative signals to Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul
Considering the England tour was going to be a long one, Team India had chosen additional openers for the series in the UK. Apart from Gill and Rohit Sharma, India also have Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul in the squad, both of whom have opened in Test matches before. In fact, Agarwal seemed to have sealed his spot before losing it to Gill during the series in Australia.
Rahul hasn’t played Test cricket since September 2019. However, he does have the experience of 36 Test matches behind him. Rahul has played in the longer format in England before and even has a hundred to his name. He had a poor run in Test matches before getting dropped, but the experience of being there and having done that before often is invaluable.
Further, Team India already have Abhimanyu Easwaran in the squad as a reserve player. If needed, he could be drafted into the squad. Easwaran has played 64 First-Class games for Bengal, scoring 4401 runs at an average of 43.57. Also, the likes of Hanuma Vihari and Pujara could be pushed up to open the innings if the situation so demands.
Reacting to reports of Shaw’s possible inclusion in the Test team in England, the legendary Kapil Dev opined it would be an insult to the other players in the squad. Dev minced no words when speaking to ABP News in this regard:
"I don't think there is any need for it. There should be some respect for the selectors too. They have picked a team, and I'm sure it wouldn't have happened without their (Shastri and Kohli's) consultation. I mean, you have two such big-opening batsmen in KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. Do you really need a third option? I don't think it's right. I'm not convinced with this theory. The team that they've picked already has openers, so I think they should be the ones to play. Otherwise, it's insulting for the players who are already in the team."
#3 Another quarantine after Sri Lanka could be mentally draining for Shaw
This is one factor the selectors and the Indian thinktank must consider seriously if they are indeed thinking of flying Shaw to England. Shaw was in quarantine in Mumbai recently along with other members of the Indian limited-overs squad chosen for the tour of Sri Lanka. The team members underwent another quarantine after reaching Colombo.
Flying Shaw all the way from Sri Lanka to England under the current circumstances will include additional logistical hassles apart from the fact that the young player will have to undergo another period of isolation. Does the Indian management really want to put so much stress on a young shoulder? Many players have spoken out in the open about bio-bubble burnout.
As things stand, Shaw has already been through some tough times recently, first with the doping ban and then being dropped from the national team.
It is only over the last few months that the Mumbai youngster has been able to rediscover his batting form. The Indian thinktank must ask themselves one frank question: given the present scenario, is it worth putting Shaw through all that mental stress and fly him over to England?