Prithvi Shaw In Contention For New Zealand Tests As 3rd Opener

Young Indian batsman went through a tough time after getting slapped with a ban earlier this year. He was restricted to participate in any cricketing event as he failed the dope Test. However, the youngster came back with a bang and slammed 3 fifties in five Syed Mushtaq Ali matches. Shaw also began this first-class season with an elegant 66 against Baroda in the opening Ranji Trophy game. Following his remarkable run, he has now found a place in the India A team that will play two four-day games against New Zealand A just before the Test series begins. According to an Indian Express report, three other Indian Test players have also been included in the squad. Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Mayank Agarwal are the three who will play the second game to get some practice in New Zealand conditions before the Test rubber. “The selection committee is of the view that it’s better than Test specialists travel early to get used to conditions. It will help them get enough practice,” a source in the BCCI was quoted as saying. On the other hand, Shaw praised the former skipper Rahul Dravid for his guidance at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore. “After returning from London, Rahul (Dravid) sir called me to the NCA for training. There I went through a series of fitness tests like yo-yo. Under Rahul sir, a lot of focus was on fitness. I had to clear all my fitness tests. What also helped was that during the nets good bowlers were available like Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) and Varun Aaron. Besides, Rahul sir was always there for guidance and mental issues,” Shaw shared. India A will travel to New Zealand in the first week of January.