IND v AUS 2020: 'We were not surprised that Prithvi Shaw got out early' - Sanjay Manjrekar
Former middle-order batsman Sanjay Manjrekar has opined that Prithvi Shaw's cheap dismissal in India's second innings of the first Test did not come as a surprise to anyone. He made this observation while reviewing the second day's play of the Adelaide Test on the Sony Sports network.
Sanjay Manjrekar was asked about Prithvi Shaw's lack of form. He responded that the warning signals were already there, considering the opener's indifferent performances in the IPL and the two warm-up matches.
"We saw a few signs in the IPL and the warm-up matches as well."
The 55-year-old stated he was also in favour of Prithvi Shaw playing the first Test match as the diminutive batsman had performed decently in the few encounters he had played in the longest format of the game.
"I was saying that they should pick Prithvi Shaw because when he had played the Test matches, he had played only four Test matches and in that he had a hundred and a seventy. The last Test match he played in New Zealand, he scored a fifty. So, he should get one Test match and he should not be kept out based on the performances in the matches in between."
However, Manjrekar observed it was not a shot out of the blue that Prithvi Shaw failed to be amongst the runs in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He added the free-stroking player was a little unlucky as he had to bat under lights at the start of his second essay.
"But what happened now, it is not that we were surprised that Prithvi Shaw got out early, his form was like this only and we were almost thinking something like this will happen. His bad luck was also that he got to bat in the evening."
Sanjay Manjrekar believes Prithvi Shaw will be replaced by Shubman Gill for the second Test match
Sanjay Manjrekar opined Prithvi Shaw is unlikely to hold on to his spot for the second Test as the selectors have already given him a long rope.
"So the selectors should feel that they have given him the chance, he was looking out of form but they supported him based on past performances but now it feels it is difficult for him to play the next Test match."
Manjrekar signed off by stating it will not be a debatable call if Shubman Gill replaces Prithvi Shaw in the Melbourne Test.
"Shubman Gill is in the waiting and if Gill plays the next match, then no one can have any scope of saying anything."
It was a questionable call by the Indian team management to retain Prithvi Shaw as the opener for the first Test, considering his dismal returns both in the IPL and the practice matches.
With Virat Kohli not available after the Adelaide Test, the Indian team will now have to bring in both Shubman Gill and KL Rahul if they don't want to persist with Prithvi Shaw any longer.