Prithvi Shaw is a mix of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Brian Lara, says Ravi Shastri

Prithvi Shaw is a mix of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Brian Lara, says Ravi Shastri

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Ravi Shastri has stated that Prithvi Shaw’s batting has elements of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag’s style and also his walking style is a bit like Brian Lara. After Shaw’s back-to-back exploits in the series against Windies, his comparison with the legends has been rampant.

India swept the Test series against a hapless West Indies side 2-0. Youngster Prithvi Shaw got a much-deserved man of the series award for his performance in the series in which he scored 243 runs at an average of 118.5 with an astounding strike rate of 94. The young right-hander has been gathering praise all around and the head coach of the team was no different.

“When he bats, there is a bit of Sachin, bit of Viru [Virender Sehwag]. When he walks, there is a bit of [West Indies great Brian] Lara as well...that’s a deadly combination to have. If he keeps his head on his shoulders and the work ethic, he has a bright future," Shastri told Star sports.

Prithvi Shaw first shot to fame for his batting exploits in November 2013 when he had set the highest score by any batsman in any organised form of cricket since 1901 when he hit 546 in a Harris Shield elite division match until the record was broken by Pranav Dhanawade on 4 January 2016.

“He was born to play cricket. He has been playing since was eight. So, that’s a decade in the maidans of Bombay and wherever else. If you look at his game, he is a spectator’s delight.”

Umesh Yadav was in the squad for the Test series against England. In fact, he also played the first Test against the English side. But he was replaced by Kuldeep Yadav for the second Test match and from then warmed the bench for the rest of the series. He picked his first ten-wicket haul in the second Test match against West Indies.

“I felt very happy for him. It can be a frustrating profession when you have to sit on the reserve bench like he did for four Test matches in England. We knew, and he knows that he can play at any given stage, but only eleven can play. I am glad that he grabbed his opportunity with both hands.”

India’s pace bowling attack has become sharper over the years with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav doing well. India also has also got a strong bench strength in the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, and Khaleel Ahmed.

“What this will do is that this will make him believe that he belongs to the best XI that India can put out in the park. He has given us a headache but that’s a very good headache."

Apart from a 149 in the last Test match against England, India’s opener KL Rahul is having a forgettable patch in his career. Though he managed to remain not out on 33 in his latest innings against West Indies, his batting did not seem fluent and his struggle against inswinging deliveries made his life difficult.

“He’ll be fine. I sometimes think he tries too hard and I tell him to relax. He is a world-class player – he is that good. Once he gets in, it will be difficult to stop him.”

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