AUS v IND 2020-21: Ricky Ponting, Nick Knight share their views on Prithvi Shaw's struggles in Adelaide Test

Shaw has been found wanting against the Australian pacers in the ongoing Day-Night Test at the Adelaide Oval.

By Salman Anjum - 19 Dec, 2020

India opener Prithvi Shaw has been found wanting against the Australian pacers in the ongoing Day-Night Test at the Adelaide Oval.

 Shaw, who registered the scores of 0 and 4 in the opening Test, got bowled through the gap between bat and pad in both the innings. As a result, questions have been raised over his technique.

See Also: "Eagerness to power the ball proving Prithvi Shaw's undoing", says Tom Moody 

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting, who has predicted Shaw's dismissal in the first innings accurately, provided an insight on the right-hander’s technique after his similar dismissal in the second essay.

"You can see on the left of the screen, the first innings dismissal where Mitchell Starc is bringing one back through the gate. You can see he's trying to make a slight adjustment in the second innings, the gap is not that big. But the problem and the worry is that the frontfoot is not planted. It's still in the air, he's late on the ball, he's late moving his weight into the ball. If he actually gets a full stride forward there, that eliminates the gap between bat and pad," Ponting said on Channel 7.

"He makes about three movements with his frontfoot but the frontfoot doesn't actually go anywhere."

Sharing his thoughts on Prithvi Shaw’s struggle Down Under, former England opener Nick Knight said that the youngster should be given a break from the team.

“It’s a real concern. You see the first innings dismissal... the backlift is coming from the second or third slip. These guys (Australian pacers) are too good. You are talking about the best bowlers and they are not going to let Prithvi Shaw get away with that backlift,”  Knight said on Extraaa Innings on Sony Six channels.

“I don’t see him being able to make those changes over the next four or five days or whatever it might be before the next game. Mentally what sort of a shape he is in? I don’t think he will be able to play in the second Test,” he added.

“Sometimes when you reflect on your career, there are moments in which at that time you might feel it is against you but it actually works for you because you are taken out of a difficult situation and it’s actually a bit of relief for you when you look back at it. This might be one of those occasions, it is actually better for him if he is taken out of the team so that he can work on his technical deficiencies,” he explained.

Former India pacer Zaheer Khan also endorsed Nick Knight’s views.

"It can look bad when you are getting out. It's equally difficult when someone figures it out. That's what international cricket is all about. Everyone is just waiting to figure you out, find out your weaknesses and just attack. That's what is happening with Prithvi Shaw at the moment," Zaheer said on the same show.

"The wicket is also assisting them. Maybe in subcontinent conditions you have that fraction of bit extra to adjust. Here it's going to be a challenge to adjust to that pace as well and that is something which he will be facing for sure. Also the pace of the bowler, you know, not often you have 2 or 3 bowlers coming at you at 145 pace. That's something which he has to adjust to.

"I completely agree with you that he might be missing in this (next) Test match. I mean the remaining of the series looks like it's going to be difficult for him to make his spot. There was some speculation that he might not be starting the series. These kinds of total and that dropped catch."

By Salman Anjum - 19 Dec, 2020

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