21-year-old Prithvi Shaw has been in news ever since he got bowled in the first innings of the Pink-ball Test match versus hosts Australia in Adelaide. His technique was immediately questioned by on-air commentators Sunil Gavaskar and Ricky Ponting. Fans trolled him and questioned his place in the playing XI ahead of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul.
The 2nd innings provided no reprieve to him. He got castled in similar fashion, four runs is what he could manage. Had India won the Test match, Shaw might have luckily avoided the unwanted attention he his getting. But India’s 36 all out and the following 8 wicket loss has only worsened the situation for the Mumbai batsman.
Now, former India Capitan Gundappa Viswanath has deemed the right-hander not ready to face the pace generated by Australia quicks. Gundappa has also called Shaw ‘ill-equipped’ to face the moving balls.
“Shaw shouldn’t have been picked. He is not ready to face the kind of speed generated by the Australian pacers and he appears ill-equipped to play the moving ball,” Gundappa Viswanath told Mid-day.
Further, the former chairman of selectors blamed the footwork of India batsmen for their terrible show against Australia in first of the 4-match Test series. Only Pujara got dismissed on an unplayable delivery, according to the 71-year-old.
“Cheteshwar Pujara got out to an unplayable delivery, but the rest did not use their feet. They were caught in two minds before playing their strokes and displayed a total lack of confidence,” remarked Viswanath from Bangalore.
Notably, Gundappa Viswanath was part of the team which got bowled out on 42 in a Test match against England at Lord’s in 1974. Recalling the incident, the former batsman pointed out that his team also scored 302 runs in the same match.
“We have to accept that we faced a huge problem facing the moving ball. People pointed fingers at the debacle but we scored 302 in the same Test at Lord’s in the first innings. This is life. “I am sure Team India will bounce back but for the time being, they have to endure this tough period,” Gundappa Viswanath said.
