New Delhi: Delhi opener Prithvi Shaw scored a quickfire 47 off just 25 balls to power Delhi to set a platform for a big score against Rajasthan at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Wednesday.
The Mumbai batsman, who also led India U-19 to the World Cup victory displayed intent from the start and flayed RR bowling all around the park. He began quite slow as he had scored only 2 runs of the first six balls he faced. But in the third over, he launched his onslaught against Dhawal Kulkarni who failed to bowl up to him. Shaw got 16 off that over with two towering sixes and a four through cover.
Then he went after Jaydev Unadkat in the fifth over and picked up 15 with two fours and a six. Just like Kulkarni, Unadkat too failed to decipher the perfect length to be bowled against Shaw.
Gifted with a high backlift, Shaw's downswing could be compared to the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag. The downswing comes down pretty quick and helps him to generate a lot of power. Due to that, short arm jabs too travel a lot of distance.
Secondly, he comes from the Mumbai school of batting and has a shorter front foot stride. Meaning that the length ball is the perfect ball for someone like Shaw as it sits up nicely at waist height. Also, his trigger movement which goes towards leg, helps him to clear his front leg easily and helps him to make room for himself. When you analyse most of his boundary shots, almost every ball was bowled on the length.
However, any delivery bowled wide to him wasn't connected properly as he gets too far away from making a sound connection. The bowlers would have reaped awards had they been pitching it a yard fuller than where they pitched.
Coming back to his downswing, if it has a lot of benefits, it certainly has a weakness as well. since it comes down pretty quick, it gets difficult to check the shot. The point in case is the way he got out to Shreyas Gopal. The moment he bowled slower, Shaw couldn't control his downswing and lobbed a simple catch back.
