Prithvi Shaw made a sparkling return to the first-class cricket. Playing his first four-day match after more than a year, the right-handed batsman scored his maiden double-century to announce his comeback in domestic cricket. Shaw had already played six Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches before the double-century but with reserve opener’s slot still up for grabs in Tests, the innings against Vadodara was more special.
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Shaw staked his claim for the opening spot with his heroics but opined that he doesn’t think about India comeback. “It (200) was never on my mind. I was trying to score runs. That’s it. But as I got closer to 200 runs I thought it’s a time to grab it. People do score hundreds, not that it’s easy to score hundreds, but I felt kuch bada karna padega,” he told The Indian Express.
“To be honest I do think about the India comeback. I wasn’t dropped and I was out of the team. It was not a nice feeling,” Shaw added.
The young prodigy was first called in the Test squad for the last two matches against England in 2018, where he replaced Murali Vijay. He made his debut against West Indies in Rajkot in October and scored a century on debut. He went to Australia as the first-choice opener but an injury suffered during practice match meant he returned without playing a ball.
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Shaw made his comeback to domestic cricket in February and went on to play IPL. He was in the scheme of things for West Indies tour but was banned by BCCI for a doping violation, which saw him miss the series. Shaw made his comeback in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and has come up with strong performances.
In his absence, selectors handed maiden call-up to Shubman Gill for the South Africa and Bangladesh Tests but he did not make his debut. Both the players now have enough matches to present their case for selection as India play their next Test series in February 2020.
Although with Mayank Agarwal and Rohit Sharma doing well as openers, others in line might have to wait to get their chances. India take on New Zealand in a two-match Test series from February 21, 2020.