Scoring a fifty now nothing, people want me to score hundreds, says Prithvi Shaw

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https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/scoring-a-fifty-now-is-nothing-people-want-me-to-score-hundreds-prithvi-shaw-5378662/

What does being part of the Indian team mean to you?

 

I wasn’t expecting the Test call-up. Obviously, playing for your country is always a dream. There are players who have been part of the Indian team for 5-10 years. I landed in the evening and wasn’t able to meet anyone till the day after, when I went and greeted everybody during breakfast. It took some time for the feeling to sink in. I was nervous and didn’t know what to say. I was quiet the whole day. But the dressing room vibe is brilliant. It’s a chilled environment and everybody kept me comfortable.

What did you learn from that?

I learned a lot. I was out for two games. But even though I was out, I was part of the game. The way Ravi (Shastri) sir talked about aspects like the field placements. Tabhi pata chala why people call Test cricket the ultimate format. The passion I saw from the senior players, be it India or England… kaafi maza aaya. Cricket over five days is not easy. Something or the other was happening on every ball.

Did you think you will get to make your debut?

Actually, I didn’t think about it. I just told myself, if the chance comes I will be ready to grab it. I had prepared myself mentally.

Did you take any tips from Virat Kohli or other teammates?

Batting ke time, England me swing hota hai. So the opposition played with lot of mind. They knew where to bowl and how to bowl to each batsman. I asked Kohli how he managed to score all those runs. He told me that he always puts the team before him. Woh hunger apne aap aa jata hai.

Have the expectations increased now?

People are expecting a lot. Scoring a fifty is nothing. People want me to score 100 runs. I remember from the school days that I was always in immense pressure ki ‘arrey, bas 50 banaya? Score a hundred. You are such a talented boy’. I used to get nervous ki 50 ki bhi aukat nahi. As the level of competition increased, I matured too. The more you play the more you learn. You meet different kind of people, but yes, these things don’t matter now because I know what I have to do.

How have you handled this sudden fame?

After the score of 546 in school (during a Harris Shield match at the Azad Maidan in Mumbai), I got fame in the whole country. And then recognition came. Life has changed in the past one year, and things have moved fast. I remember once I was standing in the economy class queue at the airport. The airways manager saw me and he told me to go to the business class line. There was a group of people who recognised me and one of them just couldn’t control his emotions. He broke down, I don’t know why but he told me he was big fan of mine. These kind of things do motivate you to raise your benchmark.

There has been a lot of hype around you now, especially with the buzz that you might make your Test debut soon against West Indies.

People say don’t think about selection but I am also human being. I too have emotions. Back of the mind things are going around certainly what will happen, will I play or not. When such thought process come I just recall what Sachin sir and Rahul Sir have told me. Just let be in present. Rahul sir always say 200 runs which I have scored is past now, I can’t change that, so be in present.

Has your batting approach, or other aspects of the game, changed post the stint with the Indian team?

The approach is still to be positive and to try and play my game. I play the ball as per merit. And given a chance, I will always play my shots.

Exciting young talent hope he does well.

Edited September 29, 2018 by Switchblade