Former India cricket team selector Jatin Paranjape has claimed that out of favour batter Prithvi Shaw is among those in contention to bag the spot for a reserve opener in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Reports had earlier emerged that the selectors were mulling picking Ruturaj Gaikwad for the IND vs AUS series as a back-up opener. Further, reports of Rohit Sharma likely to miss the first two Tests provide a stronger chance for those in fray to punch their ticket to Australia.
Prithvi Shaw for Border-Gavaskar Trophy?
As per Times of India, the former selector claimed that Prithvi Shaw was a ‘dark horse’ who is also in contention for the opener’s role. The Mumbai batter played his last Test in 2020 and hasn’t been in great form over the years. Paranjape noted that Shubman Gill and KL Rahul were good options for the third opener. Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran is also in the fray after a sensational domestic season.
“There’s is also a dark horse that no one is talking about – Prithvi Shaw. This domestic season will be crucial for Shaw,” Paranjape said.
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Comparing the reserve openers
Out of the lot in contention for the reserve opener, Abhimanyu Easwaran is arguably the best, with some stellar numbers in first-class cricket. However, despite being named in IND vs ENG series earlier this year, he has not managed to make his Test debut yet. The Border-Gavasakar Trophy would be the perfect series for the Bengal batter to kick-start his journey for India. Not to forget, his hundred hitting steak in the Duleep Trophy has surely strengthened his resume.
The next on the list is Ruturaj Gaikwad. Like Easwaran, the CSK skipper is yet to make his Test debut but has made his case stronger for his inclusion with some fine performances and consistency in the recent past.
Talking about Prithvi Shaw, the batter wasn’t a part of the Duleep Trophy and was playing County cricket instead. He last featured in Mumbai’s victorious Irani Cup tie which saw him slam a blistering half-century as well. Shaw is currently a part of the ongoing Ranji Trophy tournament where he will hope to find his way back into Team India by letting his bat do the talking.
| Player | Matches | Runs |
| Abhimanyu Easwaran | 98 | 7506 |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | 33 | 2282 |
| Prithvi Shaw | 56 | 4497 |
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