Rahul Dravid's feedback on Prithvi Shaw is all you would want to know, says Ajit Agarkar

Rahul Dravid's feedback on Prithvi Shaw is all you would want to know, says Ajit Agarkar

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By SportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

23

Ajit Agarkar has stated that Rahul Dravid’s feedback would be more than enough to take a decision about Prithvi Shaw’s inclusion in the Test side of the senior Indian team. He also feels that just to be around and sharing the dressing room and training with them shall work wonders for Shaw.

Prithvi Shaw has been consistent enough with his batting skills, be it for Mumbai, India-19 or India A, in all the three formats of the game and in varied conditions all around the globe. Having converted nearly half of his 26 innings in first-class cricket in 50-plus scores, Shaw has amassed 1,418 runs at 56.72, with seven hundreds and five fifties. Having selected twice for a cricket scholarship in Manchester, England, for which he managed to score 1411 runs in the period of two months, proves that he also has an experience of playing in the English conditions. All these factors might have irked the selectors to take him as a replacement of Murali Vijay, for the fourth Test match. The national selection panel led by M.S.K. Prasad is understood to have consulted Rahul Dravid again before settling in on Shaw as Vijay's replacement over Mayank Agarwal for the last two Tests in England.

Ajit Agarkar, Mumbai chief selector, who is thrilled to see yet another city player drafted into India's squad, Dravid's approval would be the biggest stamp. 

“If Rahul has given them the feedback, which I assume they would have sought, that's all you would want to know. He is not going to promote him for his promise or age” Agarkar told Sportstar.

With India having marked a comeback in the series with an emphatic win at Trent Bridge, it will be surprising if Shaw actually debuts for India in England. Still, Agarkar feels Shaw couldn't have asked for a better time to join the senior team players. 

“Even if he doesn't get a game, just to be around the group and a happy change room will work wonders for him. I am sure this exposure will make him an even better batsman,” Agarkar said. 

Despite Shaw being a teenager, his selection in India's squad has hardly raised any eyebrows back home. As he prepared to leave for England from Bengaluru on Thursday, he would realize that he has indeed taken a giant stride towards fulfilling the dream. It remains to be seen if he can make the most of it.

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