City prodigy Shaw starts Test career the same way he started his Ranji and Duleep Trophy stints - with a stonking ton
Prithvi Shaw's doting father Pankaj was not here to witness the momentous occasion of his son scoring a century on Test debut, but five family friends were around to cheer for every Prithvi boundary at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium here yesterday. Prithvi became India's youngest Test debutant centurion on Day One of the opening Test against the West Indies.
Shrugging off the early dismissal of his opening partner KL Rahul and a wasted review, Prithvi Shaw cruised to a century on the same ground where he scored his 2017 Ranji Trophy debut hundred. Soon, he was the flavour of the day and trending on social media. But just as talk of a possible double century was gathering pace, Prithvi's soft dismissal - caught and bowled Devendra Bishoo for 134 - left everyone heartbroken.
ADVERTISEMENT
For Prithvi's family and friends, the debut ton seemed a reward from the almighty. Amit Shenoy, a Shaw family friend, revealed they had performed a ritual at GSB Ganapati Mandal at Sion and prayed for Prithvi's success. "For Prithvi, we performed a Tula Bhaar puja which is the purest form of worship. In this puja, coconuts are offered to match one's weight on a weighing scale. Prithvi's father had come along as well, and it was a great experience for them," said Shenoy, who is one of the trustees of the mandal.
Naresh Pardeshi, who also travelled from Mumbai, said that the family friends will head to Shirdi for Sai Baba's blessings. "Prithvi and his father are dedicated followers of Sai Baba. They visit Shirdi often," he said. It is learnt that Pankaj will be in Shirdi soon.
Prithvi Shaw
Celebrations were on the agenda too for Shenoy & Co. The first thing to do was to hunt for a decent Chinese restaurant which could dish out Prithvi's favourite cuisine. Chinese food after a century at any level has been the norm for Prithvi. Why should a ton at the highest level be any different?
"Chicken lollypop and rice is his favourite combo and he loves to have it after every century. We don't know how much time we will get with him to celebrate here as there will be something organised in the Indian team as well," Mangesh Dhoble, one of Prithvi's closest friends, told mid-day after the day's play yesterday.
|
Prithvi Shaw's family friends (right to left) Naresh Pardeshi, Amit Shenoy, Mangesh Dhoble, Santosh Patil and Anil Vishwakarma at the SCA Stadium in Rajkot yesterday. Pic/Harit N Joshi
Dhoble too has played a key role in Prithvi's younger days, accompanying him to matches whenever his father couldn't make it. "You can say he has literally grown up in my house. When he was a child, he would spend hours at our house. He is like my younger brother," Dhoble said.
Dhoble would often fulfill Prithvi's wish of having ice-cream even as his father was against him consuming it. "I was sure he would score a hundred on his India debut. That is why we all came here - to see him, to cheer for him," he said.
Also Read: Prithvi Shaw's dad: I'm not going to Rajkot for his debut Test
Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
