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'Will always back a player in T20s who has more runs than Rahane': Nehra feels Shaw deserved more chances last year
After scoring a duck and 2 in first Test against Australia, Prithvi Shaw was dropped from the Indian team from the remaining three Tests, which the former India fast bowler reckons was a tough call.
Ashish Nehra has weighed in on Prithvi Shaw's terrific turnaround, saying that although the youngster has worked hard to overcome his technical shortcomings, the 21-year-old should have been given a longer run last year when things weren't quite going his way.
Shaw last played for India during the Adelaide Test against Australia last December, where his technical flaws came to be highlighted. After scoring a duck and 2, Shaw was dropped from the team from the remaining four Tests, which the former India fast bowler reckons was a tough call.
"As far as technique is concerned, for any player it is difficult to adjust. Even during the Adelaide Test, he wasn't a player who had a lot of experience or played 30-40 Test matches. We were talking about a youngster. To drop him on the basis of one Test match was tough," Nehra told Cricbuzz.
After India secured a historic 2-1 Test series win Down Under, Shaw worked on his game and the result is visible. Over 800 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai and more than 300 runs in eight IPL games. This was after Shaw had faded away in last year's IPL. Having begun the tournament with a couple of impressive half-centuries, Shaw struggled for runs and registered three ducks.
Like his stance regarding the Australia Tests, Nehra was sure Delhi Capitals shouldn't have dropped Shaw, especially for his senior pro Ajinkya Rahane, who scored eight runs from two matches.
"It's one thing that India went on to win the series but even then, I felt that he shouldn't have been benched after one Test match. Even during last year's IPL, I felt he shouldn't have been dropped. He played a few good innings but couldn't score runs. But I will always back a player who has more runs than Rahane, when you talk of T20 cricket. I'm not saying that Rahane is not a good player, but in T20 cricket you need explosive players like Shaw, Pant, Stoinis and Hetmyer " Nehra added.
