Just trying to be in my zone, disciplined: Prithvi
The Mumbai opener, seeking an India comeback, hit an unbeaten 240 as Mumbai dominated Assam in their Group B Ranji Trophy tie against Assam in Guwahati.
Prithvi Shaw served a reminder to the new national selection committee of his credentials as opener on Tuesday with a brisk unbeaten 240 for Mumbai against Assam on Day One of the Elite Group B Ranji Trophy match at Amingaon Cricket Ground in Guwahati.
Shaw, 23, last played a Test in Adelaide against Australia at 2020 end and his last India game was a T20 tie against Sri Lanka in Colombo in July 2021. The Chetan Sharma-headed panel will meet later this month to pick the squad for next month’s home Test series against Australia.
“I would like to focus on things which are in my hands. Not thinking too much of when will I get a chance nor is it like that I can just walk up to them (selectors) and ask for an opportunity. I'm just focusing on my game and when I make a comeback, return with khadoos attitude. Right now, I'm visualising myself (in different game situations). I watch how I used to bat or how did I get out... Just trying to be in my zone and stay disciplined,” said Shaw.
“I was working on my game for a long time. I was batting well but big scores weren't coming... Also focused on whether I’m sleeping well, eating right.”
At stumps, Shaw was on 240 from 283 balls (33x4, 1x6) and his unbroken third-wicket stand with skipper Ajinkya Rahane (73*) worth 200 had helped Mumbai reach 397/2. Shaw raised 123 runs for the opening wicket with 17-year-old Musheer Khan (42), who opened in the absence Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Shaw has been in good touch this Ranji season but had not converted starts. His last big innings for Mumbai was also a double century, in the 2019-20 season against Baroda. A should injury two matches later had ruled him out for the rest of the season. In 2021-22, he scored just 355 runs in six first-class matches.
He started the 2022-23 campaign with a bang, scoring back-to-back centuries for West Zone in the Duleep Trophy. He carried that form into the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament where he scored 332 runs at a strike rate of 181.42, finishing as the second-highest run-getter.
Before the Assam game, Shaw had scored just 160 runs in seven innings with a highest score of 68. “When I wasn't converting my starts, it was at the back of my mind that I have to get a big one. But in this match, I went in with a blank mind... Tried to play along the ground as much as I could. Kept small targets, 10 runs at a time and it helped.”
Ruturaj hits ton
In Pune, opener Ruturaj Gaikwad hit an unbeaten 126-ball 118 as Maharashtra ended Day 1 of their Group B tie against Tamil Nadu on 350/6. Gaikwad, who has two half-centuries in his last three first-class outings, hit 16 fours and three sixes. Kedar Jadhav, fresh from a run-a-ball 283 against Assam last week, scored 56 while Azim Kazi was unbeaten on 87 at stumps.
Solid start for Andhra
Andhra skipper Hanuma Vihari hit a painstaking 202-ball 76 and opener CR Gnaneshwar 81, raising 106 runs for the second wicket, to help the team reach 203/3 at stumps against Delhi at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground after being asked to bat on a cold day.
Brief scores (select matches)
In Guwahati: Mumbai 397/2 (P Shaw 240*, A Rahane 73*) vs Assam
In Pune: Maharashtra 350/6 (R Gaikwad 118*, A Kazi 87*) vs TN
In Delhi: Andhra 203/3 (H Vihari 76*, C Gnaneshwar 81) vs Delhi
In Alur: Rajasthan 129 (KS Rathore 33; V Koushik 4/37) vs Karnataka 106/2 (M Agarwal 49*)