India’s teenage batting sensation Prithvi Shaw is expected to open with Rohit Sharma during the upcoming ODI series against West Indies. As per a report in The Indian Express, the selectors are keen to rotate the key players in a bid to keep them fresh for the upcoming Australia tour and the 2019 World Cup.
The selection committee led by MSK Prasad has already announced the Indian team for the first two ODIs against West Indies and Shaw’s name doesn’t feature in it. However, given his swashbuckling batting in the recently concluded two-Test series against the Windies, Shaw is likely to be given the opportunity in the remaining ODIs.
“With an eye to the World Cup, the main focus was how to rotate players. In fact, more than rotation, it would be more about how to save our key players. That’s why you would see the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, Mohammad Shami in and out of the squad, not playing regularly. The players who are important for all formats will be adequately taken care of. Going ahead also, these things will keep happening,” a source, who was privy to the meeting told The Indian Express.
Considering the track record of Dhawan and Rohit in ODIs, they remain the first-choice opening pair for the 2019 World Cup, slated to be held in England. But the management is keen on trying out Shaw to give themselves more options.
Shaw lived a dream debut Test series against the West Indies as he aggregated 237 runs at an average of 118.50 across three innings and earned ‘Man of the Series’ award. Living up to the hype of India’s next batting superstar, he smashed a century in his maiden international match. Shaw, at 18 years and 329 days, notched the three-figure mark off 99 balls on Day 1 of the first Test at Rajkot.
His 134 led the foundation for India’s mammoth first innings total – 649/9 (declared). Subsequently, Indian bowlers ripped through the Windies batting line-up in both the innings and secured a thumping innings and 272-run victory. After putting the Man of the Match performance at Rajkot, Shaw came up with another dominating knock of 70 in the first innings of Hyderabad Test. He ended up with 33* in the second essay to secure a resounding 10-wicket victory for India.
As far as Prithvi Shaw’s List A record is concerned – the youngster has played 22 games, scoring 938 runs at an average of 42.33 and at a strike rate of 115.37. He already has five fifties and three hundreds in List A cricket to his name. Earlier this year, Shaw has led India to the Under-19 ODI World Cup triumph in New Zealand.
