ENG vs IND 2018: I Was Not Expecting A Test Call-up So Early: Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw has said he was not expecting a call from the Test team after being named in the squad for the last two England vs India Tests.

Shaw was in sensational form for India A in the last couple of months. In a first-class game against West Indies ‘A’ in Beckenham, he scored 188 before notching up two centuries and a half century in the List A games on the ‘A’ tour to England. He recently scored another century against South Africa in Bengaluru.

“I was not expecting a Test call-up so early,” Shaw told mid-day.

“I have followed India’s first three Test matches against England and if given a chance in the playing XI, I will try my best to contribute,” the 18-year old added.

Shaw further credited his father for the selection, saying:

“I would like to give credit to my dad. He has done a lot for me. I don’t know how to express it in words. I would also like to thank my coaches who have helped me a lot.”

Shaw shot to limelight when he set a new record of 546 runs from 330 balls playing for Rizvi Springfield in a Harris Shield match. It was the highest score in Indian schools cricket before being surpassed by Pranav Dhanawade in 2016. The marathon knock, which lasted six hours and seven minutes, was studded with 85 fours and five sixes.

Shaw made his first-class debut for Mumbai in the semi-finals of the 2016–17 Ranji Trophy on 1 January 2017. He had gone on score a century in the second innings to bag the Man of the Match award.

The right-handed batsman also scored a century in his debut match of the Duleep Trophy. He equaled the record held by Sachin Tendulkar, who had scored for the first time a century each in his debut matches of Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy respectively.

In December 2017, he was named the captain of the team for the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. He eventually led the team to the title. He scored 261 runs in the tournament.

The impressive performances helped him get a whopping deal of INR 1.2 crore from Delhi Daredevils (DD). He went on to impress in the IPL too, finishing the season with 245 runs including two fifties.