IND vs AUS | MCG pitch will suit Prithvi Shaw’s batting style more, proclaims Michael Hussey

IND vs AUS | MCG pitch will suit Prithvi Shaw’s batting style more, proclaims Michael Hussey

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Written by: SportsCafe Desk

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Hussey stated that Indian management should trust Shaw

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Michael Hussey has proclaimed that MCG pitch will suit Prithvi Shaw’s batting style more in comparison to the Adelaide, which had more bounce and seam. He also cited Joe Burns’ example as to how the Indian management can instil faith in changing Shaw’s confidence by selecting him for the MCG Test.

Prithvi Shaw’s failure in his last four innings with scores of 4,0,40 and 3 has put his place under immense pressure, with Shubman Gill’s incredible rise at the top of the order. Several news reports ahead of the MCG Test have also suggested that the Indian management could replace the out-of-form opener, Shaw, with KL Rahul, who last played in the longest format against West Indies in 2019. 

However, former Australian cricketer Michael Hussey proclaimed that the pitch at MCG will suit Prithvi Shaw’s batting style more and also insisted that the Indian management should instil their faith in the right-hander. 

“For Prithvi Shaw, find out about his character. Show that faith in him, give him that belief and tell him ‘look, we’re backing you’. The Melbourne pitch will suit him a lot more. It certainly won’t have the same pace and bounce. He’s obviously got enormous talent,” Hussey told ESPNCricinfo.

“I think that selectors should show some faith in Prithvi Shaw. Yes, he didn’t get any runs in this Test match but it’s one Test, against some quality bowling of a difficult pitch to bat,” Hussey added. 

Citing Joe Burns’ example, Hussey admitted that the Indian selectors should take a leaf out of Australia’s idealogy and how they showed their faith in the opener. 

“Joe Burns was averaging less than 7 in FC cricket. The selectors showed faith in him. He got out cheaply in the first innings but he slowly got his confidence back, worked his way through it and you see the character of the guy and he ended up scoring 50 not out.”

Similarly, Hussey stated that if India trusts Shaw, it might send a great message to the rest of the team in terms of boosting their confidence. 

“What it does is that it sends a great message to the rest of the team. It’s like ‘Look guys, even if you have a bad Test here or there, we’re not going to lose faith in you’. We know you’re good players and we’ll back you. I firmly believe that selectors should stick with Shaw despite not looking in great touch in the Test match.”

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