India vs Australia: Ajay Jadeja backs Prithvi Shaw ahead of the second Test in Melbourne

Ajay Jadeja and Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw’s low scores of 0 and 4 in two innings at the Adelaide Test heated the debate of playing Shubman Gill or KL Rahul ahead of him. Everyone started criticising the team management on giving the opportunity to an out-of-form Shaw. Moreover, the 21-year also lacked the technique of playing the in-coming deliveries against the fast bowlers.

However, former Indian batsman Ajay Jadeja backed the youngster to play during the Melbourne Test as well. He said that the team management must stick with their decision as earlier played him, despite knowing about his poor performances.

“I believe you got to stick with what you believe in. This half an hour shouldn’t change that. You have to keep more knockout players and not role-players because role players provide you with certain roles and when everyone together doesn’t do that, you’ve got a bit of a problem. But when you have knockout players in your side, one is good enough to win you matches,” Jadeja said in the post-match show on Sony Sports Network.

Also Read | India vs Australia: “Embarrassing, terrible and disgraceful” – Shoaib Akhtar slams India’s batting display

“You played Prithvi Shaw in the first game knowing he did not have a great run in the warm-up games, did not have a great IPL. So I believe you went with him looking at the future. A couple of innings shouldn’t change that,” Jadeja said.

‘Shaw scored a hundred with a similar technique’ – Jadeja

Ricky Ponting — ***^{Prithvi Shaw got out clean-bowled in both the innings in Adelaide}***

The former cricketer reckoned that Prithvi Shaw smashed a century with a similar technique that everyone is criticising right now. The Mumbaikar was bowled through the gate in both the innings to an incoming delivery exposing his ‘flaw’ of leaving a gap between bat and pad.

“The technique that everybody else is talking about has been similar with which he got that hundred. There’s nothing new that we’ve seen so how can two innings change that thought process? When you’re looking at a 21-yr-old and playing him ahead of Rahul at the start, a couple of innings shouldn’t change that,” Jadeja concluded.

Also Read | India vs Australia: “The match reminded me of when MS Dhoni rescued India from a similar position,” says Aakash Chopra