Seventeen-year-old Prithvi Shaw slams hundred on first-class debut to steer Mumbai into 46th Ranji Trophy final; Tamil Nadu lose to 41-time champions by 6 wkts
Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw stands tall in Rajkot yesterday. Pic/Bipin Tankaria
Rajkot: A teen thunder struck Tamil Nadu yesterday as 17-year-old Prithvi Shaw batted like a battle-scarred Mumbai veteran to propel the city into their 46th Ranji Trophy final at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Khandheri yesterday.
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Shaw grabbed his opportunity with both hands to become the 12th Mumbai batsman to score a Ranji Trophy ton on debut. The last batsman to do so - Amol Muzumdar (against Haryana in 1993) - was here in Rajkot - as a television commentator.
In the big league
Shaw also become the second youngest Mumbai batsman to score a century on debut after the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
The teenager who contributed well in India's under-19 Asia Cup triumph recently, pointed to the lion which is part of the Mumbai Cricket Association logo on his shirt. "The lion on our chest helps us to think positively. There is no greater satisfaction for me than to score this Ranji Trophy century and it is only because of the Mumbai Cricket Association that I am able to reach this level," said Shaw after Mumbai's six-wicket win.
The game on Day Five started at 9.50 am due to poor visibility, but weather conditions did not affect overnight batsmen Shaw and Praful Waghela. Shaw's first boundary of the day came off a back foot punch by off Aswin Crist's second delivery. Crist had to face the music again as Shaw dispatched him to the fence for two consecutive perfectly timed cover drives.
After Crist, it was left-arm spinner Aushik Srinivas who realised how difficult it was to keep the young Mumbai batsman down. Srinivas conceded a boundary on his first ball of the day when Shaw swept him towards mid-wicket fence. The bowler who bowled three maidens on Thursday evening, was swept by Shaw again. Shaw welcomed off-spinner Baba Aparajith by coming down the track and lofting him over the long-on fence for a six.
High drama
Tamil Nadu skipper Abhinav Mukund packed the off-side field when Shaw was a few runs shy of his hundred. He was caught at gully for 99, but Vijay Shankar had overstepped and the Mumbai opener got the biggest reprieve of his life. And the most important single of his life came in the fifth ball of the same over when he ran to the other end of the crease after a square drive to reach the magic three- figure mark.
Mukund was impressed. "He played quite fearlessly; played some rash shots and got away, but that's how the game goes. That was a brilliant innings, so credit to him," the Tamil Nadu skipper said.
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