Prithvi Shaw: Another Little Master From Mumbai

An 18-year old Prithvi Shaw scoring a hundred on his Test debut at Rajkot - those who have seen him coming through the ranks, this milestone is hardly a surprise for them. After notching up records in Mumbai school cricket and at the domestic circuit, it was always expected from the youngster to make such a notable entry at the international level.

A spark, which was first noticed by Pankaj, Prithvi's father in the muddy fields of Virar, in the Western Suburbs of Mumbai, has finally been ignited. Interestingly, last time West Indies played a Test match on Indian soil, it was the end of an era as Sachin Tendulkar bid farewell to international cricket. Almost five years later, the boys from the Caribbean are back here and it seems a new era has started in Indian cricket.

Keeping the prospects of the upcoming tour of Australia in mind, the Indian team management fast-tracked Prithvi to the Test level. And in this first home Test of this 2018-19 season, when the he was given a chance to bat right at top-order ahead of seasoned openers like Murali Vijay and Shaikhar Dhawan. Well, the teenager justified his selection in every possible way at the SCA ground on the outskirts of the Rajkot city, where he had cracked a ton in his maiden First-Class game in January 2017.

Yes, it was a depleted Windies attack. But the track had a greenish tinge and Shannon Gabriel was able to move the ball both ways, right from his first over. But Prithvi is a product of Mumbai cricket, where one needs to have a strong temperament to sustain. In local language it is famously referred as the 'Khadoos' approach.

And the trademark Mumbai 'khadoos-ness' in this youngster was clearly evident during the course of his 154-ball knock on Thursday.

Despite losing his partner KL Rahul in the very first over of the match, Shaw never lost his composure or concentration. Instead, he accumulated some early boundaries to get himself going. The much talked about high backlift and prowess in both front and backfoot have been some of the important features of Shaw's batting. Also, the ability of finding the gaps without much fuss is another sign of his immense talent as a batsman.

Throughout his maiden Test knock, Shaw hit the ball in every and every direction of the ground. Straight drives, cover drives, flicks through the mid-wicket region, late cuts - on Thursday, every noteworthy shot in the book, was on display. Most importantly, he maintained a strike-rate above 100 for the major part of his knock. In fact, Shaw reached his majestic debut ton in just 99 deliveries. Even when batting alongside Virat Kohli, it was the Mumbaikar, who looked like the most domination batsman at the crease.

Meanwhile, just hours after receiving his test cap, the youngster had already registered his name in the record books. At 18 years & 329 days, he is now the fourth youngest to score a ton in his maiden Test after Mohammad Ashraful, Hamilton Masakadza and Saleem Malik. For India, Shaw happens to be the second teenager at the time of his maiden Test hundred after Tendulkar who was only 17 years & 112 days when he hit an unbeaten 119 in Old Trafford in 1990.

The innings, finally came to an end just minutes before the Tea break when Shaw miscued a drive straight to the bowler, Devendra Bishoo. Like a true professional, the debutant looked extremely disappointed for not being able to extend his knock. It showed the maturity level of this teenager.

However, by the time Shaw left the field, the cricketing world was already convinced that a new little master had arrived in the scenario.