JOIN USIs Prithvi Shaw the next Sachin Tendulkar? The comparison of the young prodigy with the legendary batsman isn’t new. Shaw’s brilliant century on his Test debut against the West Indies in the first Test at Rajkot has only provided more meat to the thought of India having found their next "master blaster".
It’s not easy to handle success at a young age. The 18-year-old has upped the anticipation but Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who called Shaw a ‘different quality’ felt the youngster shouldn’t be rushed into the anything.
“You need to give a youngster his space to grow. This guy is supremely talented and he has got abilities as everyone saw,” Kohli began at a press-conference here on Thursday.
“We definitely think he has it in him to play at the highest level. He is a keen learner and a sharp guy. He understands the situation well. But (we) shouldn’t compare him to anyone yet. We shouldn’t put him in a situation where he feels pressure of any kind. He should be left in a space where he enjoys his cricket and grows as a player,” he said.
Shaw joined the bunch of youngsters in the national side who have made immediate impressions at this level of late. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has a century and a fifty under his belt in just four Tests. Right-hand batsman Hanuma Vihari slammed a plucky half-century in England in his debut Test. Kohli said it helps that youngsters are provided with exposure.
“They are exposed to the environment that the international games would replicate. But there is always the pressure of playing for your country. When you get the cap on the morning of the game, there are always butterflies in your stomach. But the pressure isn’t as intense as it was 10-15 years back when players lacked exposure. Now it’s easy when new players adapting quickly as they can start doing their jobs from the first day like Hanuma and Prithvi have done,” Kohli explained.
Ahead of the Australia series, Kohli said that he is clear about the spinners’ composition. “You look at guys who are putting revs on the ball. Guys who can get the ball to bite off the pitch are the best to succeed. I think Ash (R Ashwin) did that beautifully in England. He bowled quicker. Jaddu (R Jadeja) has always done that. I think these two players are equipped to do the job for us in any condition,” Kohli said.