Prithvi Shaw was one of the surprising picks when he replaced Murali Vijay for the final two Tests against England last year. Though he did not get to make his debut there, Shaw kicked off his Test career with a century against West Indies in October. With 237 runs in two-match series, Shaw bagged Player of the Series award and showed signs of solving India’s opening problems.
Also Read: Shikhar Dhawan to miss West Indies T20Is, Sanju Samson to be named replacement
However, the first-choice opener for Australia tour suffered an injury during a practice match there and was ruled out of the complete series. Shaw is yet to play international cricket. He could have been one of the openers for South Africa series but an eight-month ban saw him miss India A matches.
Shaw has now returned to action and will be hoping to get his Test spot back. Commenting on the youngster, India’s chief selector MSK Prasad has said that Shaw might stake his claim for selection by New Zealand Tests which takes place in February next year.
“Everyone knows what he is capable of. Unfortunately, he has been out for some time and he is looking in good touch ever since he made his comeback. Let’s see how he progresses and I am sure – by the time the New Zealand series comes up – he will be able to stake his claim for a spot in the side,” he told The Times of India.
In Shaw’s absence, Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal have fixed their spots as openers and are likely to play both the Tests in New Zealand. The youngster will eye the reserve opener’s spot that is currently held by his former deputy at U-19 team, Shubman Gill. The 20-year-old was selected for South Africa Tests and kept his place for Bangladesh series but has not made his debut.
Also Read: IPL: Three Players Mumbai Indians Might Eye During IPL 2020 Auction
Gill faces competition from Shaw and the batsman who will perform better in the Ranji Trophy is expected to fly to New Zealand as backup to Rohit and Mayank.
Shaw, since his comeback, has scored 187 runs in four matches which includes two half-centuries.