Prithvi Shaw will make his Test debut in Rajkot on Thursday. Breaking from the tradition of not talking about selection before the Test, India named a XII for the opening Test against West Indies a day in advance. They were back to playing with five batsmen and a wicketkeeper after the aberration in the fifth Test of the last series when they called up Hanuma Vihari to bolster the batting.
The only selection choice to be made on the morning of the Test will be between a third spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, and a third fast bowler. If India go with an extra quick, they will be handing another debut, this time to Shardul Thakur. While Thakur might spend a night of uncertainty, Shaw will sleep knowing he will become India’s 293rd Test cricketer.
The 18-year-old Shaw has been earmarked for great things ever since he was a prodigious run-maker in the Mumbai maidans. He captained India in the Under-19 World Cup, and began his first-career with a hundred in the fourth innings of the semi-final of the Ranji Trophy last year. He has played only 14 first-class games, but that has been enough for the selectors to recognise he is ready for Test cricket. He has scored 1418 runs at an average of 56.72. And he has done so in a dominant fashion, going at a strike rate of 76.69.
This means another prolific domestic run-getter, Mayank Agarwal, will have to bide his time. Shaw got ahead of Agarwal in the queue when he was selected for the last two Tests on the England tour. Now with Shikhar Dhawan dropped, Shaw has been given the debut ahead of Agarwal.