After a disastrous show at Adelaide, it’s time for the second outing for Indian cricket team Down Under against the hosts. They need to make a strong comeback to keep their chance in the series. The last match saw Prithvi Shaw once again attracting huge criticism after registering low scores in both innings. While most of the fraternity do not show any faith, Michael Hussey wants to back him the for the MCG Test match.
“I think that selectors should show some faith in Prithvi Shaw. Yes, he didn’t get any runs in this Test match but it’s one Test, against some quality bowling of a difficult pitch to bat,” Hussey told ESPNCricinfo.
He added, “Joe Burns was averaging less than 7 in FC cricket. The selectors showed faith in him. He got out cheaply in the first innings but he slowly got his confidence back, worked his way through it and you see the character of the guy and he ended up scoring 50 not out.”
The 20-year-old needs some confidence from the selectors and team management. Hussey believes this will motivate him to perform well on the MCG track that suits his style. Hussey explained, “For Prithvi Shaw, find out about his character. Show that faith in him, give him that belief and tell him ‘look, we’re backing you’. The Melbourne pitch will suit him a lot more. It certainly won’t have the same pace and bounce. He’s obviously got enormous talent.”
Hussey further opined, “What it does is that it sends a great message to the rest of the team. It’s like ‘Look guys, even if you have a bad Test here or there, we’re not going to lose faith in you’. We know you’re good players and we’ll back you. I firmly believe that selectors should stick with Shaw despite not looking in great touch in the Test match.”