New Delhi .Opener Prithvi Shaw, who has been out of the Indian Cricket Team for almost five years, has not given up hope of returning to international cricket. The 26-year-old batsman believes that his game is moving in the right direction and he just needs one big innings. Prithvi, who is captaining Maharashtra in Ranji Trophy, made it clear that instead of thinking too much about the future, he wants to focus on the current matches and his preparations.
After Maharashtra's 10-wicket win against Bengal on Thursday, Prithvi shared his thoughts about returning to Team India. He admitted that the thought of making a place in the Indian team again is always in his mind, but he does not want to put extra pressure on himself with this goal. According to him, it is important to perform better every day instead of worrying about what will happen next in cricket.
Prithvi said that currently he is focusing on winning matches, practicing regularly and on his fitness and diet. He believes that it is most important for a player to fulfill his responsibilities at present. He told that after any match or interview, he thinks about the preparation for the next day and further planning, but does not spend time in making long-term strategies.
Prithvi's performance in the current season of Ranji Trophy has been mixed so far. He has scored two half-centuries in seven innings. He had scored 70 runs in Maharashtra's opening match against Delhi. After this his innings were 7, 21, 0, 17 and 12 runs. In the match against Bengal, he contributed to the team's victory by scoring unbeaten 53 runs.
However, despite not being able to score big scores consistently, Prithvi is not worried about his batting. He says that he did not feel any problem in batting in the initial innings. He admitted that on some occasions the bowlers got him out by bowling good balls, while on other occasions he lost wickets while trying to play his natural shots. According to him, what he needs is an impressive innings rather than any major problem in technique or batting.
Prithvi had left the Mumbai team in the last season and moved to Maharashtra. He described his experience with the new team as good. He says that the distance between Mumbai and Pune is not very much and many of his old friends are present in the Maharashtra team also. He has played cricket before with players like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ankit Bawne. For this reason, he did not face any problem in adjusting to the new environment. He said that he has a good rapport with the team players and he is feeling comfortable playing for Maharashtra.
In the match against Bengal, Prithvi also praised experienced fast bowler Mohammed Shami. He said that Shami is still bowling at the same pace and style for which he is known. It is very difficult to face fast bowlers on pitches that support them. According to Prithvi, Shami has done a lot for Indian cricket and the batsmen are well aware of his ability. While playing against them in such circumstances, special attention has to be paid to the experience and quality of bowling.
The bowlers also played an important role in Maharashtra's 10-wicket win over Bengal. Prithvi told that in the first innings the contest between the two teams was equal and the pitch was favorable for fast bowlers. However, after Bengal lost three wickets for 25 runs in the second innings, Maharashtra team was confident of victory. Maharashtra bowlers performed well in both the innings and led the team to an important win.
Now it will be important for Prithvi Shaw to score continuous runs in domestic cricket. His hopes of returning to the Indian team remain intact, but to move towards this goal, he will have to make a consistent impact with his batting.