Prithvi Shaw, who has moved to Maharashtra ahead of the new domestic season, believes he can regain the lost ground. The 25-year-old, who scored a century on his Test debut in 2018, has seen his career nose-dive because of disciplinary and fitness issues and was dropped by his home state unit Mumbai. Having shifted to Maharashtra, he began the season on a resounding note scoring 111 against Chhattisgarh in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament here on Tuesday.
Beginning their first innings after Chhattisgarh made 252, Shaw was the standout performer for Maharashtra which folded for 217. Since being dropped from the Indian team, Shaw has lost ground in the national scheme of things. Apart from finding no takers in the Indian Premier League, Shaw even failed to make the West Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy. No longer part of the targeted pool list, Shaw is now in a place where he has to start from scratch.
“I don’t mind coming from scratch again because I’ve seen many ups and downs in my life. And I’ve been up there, I’ve been down there, I’ve come back up. So, everything is possible, I feel. I’m kind of a very confident guy, confident in myself, my work ethics. I feel, I hope that this season will go really well for me as well as for my team,” Shaw said at the end of day’s play.
While much has been said about his fitness issues and off-field issues, his batting has very much looked the part. It was evident on Tuesday as well as he scored a major chunk of his runs in boundaries. Shaw said his focus is now to get back to the aspects that got him selected to the Indian team after an impressive run in the age-group levels.
“I don’t want to change anything. I just went back to basics, doing things that I used to do in Under-19 days, which got me to the Indian team, just doing all the stuff back again, you know, practicing more, gym, running. It’s small things, obviously, it’s not that big because I’ve been doing these things since the age of 12 and 13,” he said.
Apart from working on his fitness aspect with his trainer in the last three months, Shaw said he has also taken a cautious decision to not engage himself on social media platforms as they have tended to distract him in the past. “Just trying to be myself and not really trying to be on social media or anything and those kinds of distractions. Nowadays social media, it’s quite bad. It’s kind of peaceful when I’m not using it. It’s always about learning for me. And like I said before, I’m confident enough in myself and what I am,” he said.
Shaw’s off-field issues have come under constant scrutiny with many former players openly voicing their disappointment. When asked if any of the players, past or present, reached out to him during the tough moments Shaw responded with a curt ‘no’.
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“I mean, it’s fine. I mean, I don’t want anyone’s sympathy. It’s okay. I’ve seen this before as well. I’ve got my family’s support. And my friends who were there with me when I was not really well mentally as well. So, it’s okay. People are busy doing their work. And they have their family as well. So, it didn’t bother me at all. And I was in that zone where I’m doing everything alone. And it was really good for me,” he added.
Having found a new home in Maharashtra, Shaw did reveal that looking too far ahead has cost him at times and it is one aspect he would prefer to change as he attempts a long way back. “I was trying to think [bahut aage ka] too far ahead. So, I don’t think it worked for me. So what I’m trying to do is going day by day. I have my schedule plan and I go by that. I try to be in the present. I’m just trying to be healthy and trying to improve my game in every aspect. Obviously, no one is perfect in everything. So I’ve just been trying to train hard on the field, trying to give my 100% even in practice sessions. Those kinds of mindsets I’m having right now,” Shaw said.
