Why are they not sticking to any plan?: Twitterati raise questions over reports that Prithvi Shaw could be sent to England

Twitter users have been left puzzled after reports started doing the rounds that the team management in England wants the services of Prithvi Shaw for the Test series.

Prithvi Shaw was not chosen in the Test squad for the England tour and was instead named in the limited-overs squad for Sri Lanka, led by Shikhar Dhawan. Shaw is, in fact, in the island nation, practicing for the white-ball series.

However, after Shubman Gill got injured, the Indian management reportedly sent a request to the selectors, asking for Shaw as well as Devdutt Padikkal to be flown to England. Like Shaw, Padikkal too is in Sri Lanka, having earned his maiden call-up to the India team.

Reports of Team India wanting Prithvi Shaw to be part of the Test series in England have left the Twitterati confused, especially since Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul are already in England as opening options. Here are some interesting Twitter reactions to the news:

Prithvi Shaw vs Anderson,Broad and Archer on Day 1 pic.twitter.com/PTegoUaekk

— Robisixtree (@RSixtree) July 4, 2021

Prithvi Shaw will be better off at this time playing six white-ball games in Sri Lanka than serving quarantine, drinks and eventually the torture of facing Anderson with the new ball. #justsaying

— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh) July 5, 2021

Team India wants Prithvi Shaw to replace Shubman Gill for the five-match Test series against England pic.twitter.com/Lm9K3YETQn

— Sudhanshu Ranjan Singh (@memegineers_) July 5, 2021

#prithvishaw in English conditions is a bit of a surprise . https://t.co/k7f3FV20Ib

— Saffron Careers (@saffroncareers) July 5, 2021

Bcci, Very good at throwing him after few Failures in Aus series, and Took Abimanyu easwaran , Priyank Panchal etcNow again back to Prithvi without Trying Abhimanyu n Priyank etcWhy they are not sticking with any plan?

— Arun (@kingfisher650ml) July 5, 2021

Now Paddikkal has joined this race 😎

— Naveed Shafi (@NaveedShafi15) July 5, 2021

India requesting for Prithvi Shaw for the England tour implies 3 things I feel. 1. They are not looking at Rahul as an opener. 2. They are confident that Prithvi has done necessary tweaks to his game. 3. They have not been impressed by Easwaran in the nets.

— Naman Agarwal (@CoverDrivenFor4) July 5, 2021

But I don't think it will be the right decision to send @PrithviShaw to England Because it would be unfair to the players who have went on standby with the team.

— Nikita Malviya🇮🇳 (@NKMalviya19) July 5, 2021

He is in reserves, you can't put Shaw in reserves tbh, reserves means they will travel with the team, getting experience and making him into match ready within 2 or 3 series.

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 5, 2021

Prithvi Shaw be like : Me bachho ke saath nahi khelta 😂

— Rohan (@rohanoic) July 5, 2021

pic.twitter.com/zGukTQsRuA

— Kartik Raheja (@KartikRaheja9) July 5, 2021

Why the selectors might not send Prithvi Shaw to England

Even though the Indian team management in England reportedly want Prithvi Shaw and Devdutt Padikkal to join the Test squad, the selectors might not be too keen on granting Team India’s request.

A report in PTI quoted a source as saying on the condition of anonymity:

"Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the entire Test series in the UK with shin splints that will take minimum of three months to heal. The team's administrative manager, at the end of last month, had sent an e-mailed requisition to former pacer (Chetan) Sharma asking for two more openers to be sent to the UK."

Although Abhimanyu Easwaran is already in England as a standby opener, it seems the team management does not have too much faith in his technical ability.

With the chairman of selectors, Chetan Sharma, unlikely to grant the Indian team’s request, the team management in England has the option of writing to BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah. The source added:

"The BCCI president hasn't yet received any formal request about sending Shaw and Padikkal to the United Kingdom. They are in Sri Lanka for the white ball series but obviously after it ends on July 26, both can be flown in. But I think the team management wants them to join before entering the bio-bubble in Durham."

The five-match Test series between India and England will begin with the first Test in Nottingham from August 4. India are currently enjoying a break from the bio-bubble ahead of the England series.