Prithvi Shaw scores hundred in Duleep Trophy debut to put India Red in command

Prithvi Shaw had scored a hundred in his first Ranji match as well, in the second innings against Tamil Nadu in January this year. (Source: File)

Prithvi Shaw has made a habit of making transitions look not only seamless, but also routine. After heaps of runs at the school and club levels, he made a sparkling hundred in his first Ranji match, scoring a brisk 120 against Tamil in the second innings of the Ranji Trophy semifinal last year.

He made his Duleep Trophy debut equally memorable with another strokeful hundred, thus becoming the second youngest player (17 years and 320 days) to score a hundred in Duleep Trophy, just 58 days behind Sachin Tendulkar.

The comparison with the legend, though can wait, as the 17-year-old has just embarked on his first-class career, and has still plenty to prove to be mentioned in the same breath as Tendulkar. But it brooks no argument that he has oodles of talent and potential to blossom into a fine young batsman for Mumbai and, perhaps, India in the future.

On the back of his hundred and a double-century partnership with Dinesh Karthik, who helped himself to a hundred as well, India Reds were comfortably placed at 317/5 against India Blue on the first day of the Duleep Trophy final in Lucknow.

Though Shaw was dejected to be dismissed on 154—back in the league, he’s used to getting monstrous hundreds—he sufficiently demonstrated his range of strokes, hitting 18 sweetly-struck boundaries and a six in his 249-ball innings.. He accomplished it not against a mediocre bowling attack, but against the likes of Ishant Sharma, Pankaj Singh and Jaydev Unadkat, all with India caps. He even tapped Ishant for four boundaries in a particular over.

It was a continuation of the fine form he had displayed in the tour of England recently ,where he played five youth ODI matches. There, he picked coach Rahul Dravid’s ears.

Later, he revealed how his advice helped him improve his batting. “He told me it was all about being in the right mental space and doing what you feel comfortable,” he had said.

After India Red elected to bat first, Shaw, along with Akhil Herwadkar, stitched a 74-run partnership for the first wicket before the latter was run out for 25. Surya Kumar Yadav did not last long, but Shaw joined forces with Karthik to propel India Red.

When Karthik got out at the team score of 300, India Red were comfortably placed with some batting to come, but two quick wickets before the close of play pegged them back a bit.

Brief Scores: India Red 317/5 in 83 overs (P Shaw 154, D Karthik 111; B Bhatt 3/83) vs India Blue.