Prithvi Shaw’s injury on Thursday increased the concerns for Indian cricket fans. Fortunately, he is fit now and will be available for the second Test against New Zealand, according to the head coach of the team.
Shaw Fit, Claims Shastri
In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Prithvi Shaw had opened with Mayank Agarwal in the first Test against New Zealand. Although he did not do anything great, the Indian team management especially the captain Virat Kohli as always showed confidence on him. On Thursday during the training session, Shaw injured himself and was speculated to be unavailable for the next match starting from Thursday in Churchgate. It was reported that his medical reports and training sessions on Friday would determine his match-fitness in the upcoming Test.
In the pre-match media interaction, Ravi Shastri confirmed his fitness and said, “Ravindra Jadeja or Ravichandran Ashwin, we will take that call tomorrow in the morning. Prithvi is ready to go (after recovering from an injury scare).”
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Shastri On Ashwin & Team
Ravichandran Ashwin was given preference over Ravindra Jadeja in the first Test. While asked about the same, Shastri said, “He is a world-class bowler, there is no doubt about it but we have to make sure that we pick the right side for the right conditions. I think he has bowled well over the years, if anything, he would be disappointed with his batting, I think he will improve.”
The head coach was most certainly asked about the team’s performance. India faced a terrible defeat as New Zealand claimed a 10-wicket win at home. This was India’s first defeat since the inaugural edition of the ICC World Test Championship last year. Shastri opined that a shakeup like the defeat is good for the team. He explained, “It is the red ball, we cannot replicate the white-ball performance. Especially in New Zealand and England, conditions are pretty similar. We are here not to give excuses, we were outplayed. A shakeup like that is good because when you are winning all the time, you will have a closed or fixed mindset. There is an opportunity to learn, you are mentally prepared to counter the conditions. It is a good lesson and the boys are up for the challenge.”
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