His first coach from Virar - Santosh Pingulkar isn't surprised by his performance; he said that he skipped a local inter-school match to see Prithvi's innings in Rajkot on television
Santosh Pingulkar, Prithvi Shaw
Santosh Pingulkar (right) with Prithvi Shaw
After getting out for four in the first innings, Prithvi Shaw didn't disappoint the second time. His debut Ranji Trophy ton (120) helped Mumbai beat Tamil Nadu by six wickets as Mumbai entered the final for the 46th time. His first coach from Virar - Santosh Pingulkar isn't surprised by his performance.
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"It is a proud moment for all of us that our boy proved his mettle in such an important match. He is destined for bigger achievements and this is just the beginning. His life revolves around cricket and unlike other youngsters, he is very focused and has sacrificed a lot.
Hard work paid off
"The hard work that he has put in is finally paying off. Even after getting out for four in the first innings he didn't let his confidence level fall. He didn't let his selection to go in vain and played a match-winning innings," said an elated Pingulkar. The Virar-based coach said that he skipped a local inter-school match to see Prithvi's innings in Rajkot on television yesterday.
"I didn't move an inch and couldn't take my eyes off from the TV screen as this was a big day for him. When he got out on 99 off a no-ball, my heart skipped a beat. But thankfully, he went on to score his debut century," added the coach.
MCAâÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088deserves credit
"Prithvi is young and will take time to blend into the Ranji fold. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) also deserves credit for grooming him and making him what he is today," added Pingulkar, under whom Prithvi started playing cricket as a five-year-old at the Yashwant Nagar Cricket Ground in Virar. Pingulkar also thanked the other coaches for perfecting Prithvi's technique which he couldn't.
"We tried to get his technique right. Whatever we couldn't teach him, coaches at Rizvi Springfield (Bandra), MCA and BKC camps did and moulded him into a complete player," added Pingulkar who hoped that his ward continues the momentum in the final against Gujarat at Indore from January 10 to 14.
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