'Matured' Prithvi Shaw ready for Australian hostility and challenge, Sachin Tendulkar tells Firstpost

27 years ago, an 18-year-old wonderkid stepped on the Australian soil and conjured magic. Sachin Tendulkar was a child prodigy destined for greatness and it was the 1991-92 Australia tour that quashed any lingering doubts about that prophecy and preternatural abilities. Tendulkar strode out at the Sydney Cricket Ground to score his second Test century and then went on to mesmerise the world with another ton, one of his finest till date, on the fastest and bounciest pitches in the world - The WACA - as he unleashed an array of cuts, pulls, on drives and back foot punches against a formidable attack. The magnificent 114 made Merve Hughes crack open a beer, turn to his captain Allan Border and go, “This little prick’s going to get more runs than you, AB.” The rest as the cliche goes, is history. [caption id=“attachment_5331491” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File picture of Prithvi Shaw. Reuters[/caption] Fast-forward to 2018, another 18-year-old prodigy, in the Tendulkar mould, is set to step onto the Australian shores. Prithvi Shaw, touted as the next best thing in Indian cricket, has announced himself on the big stage in style. The West Indies Test series displayed glimpses of his ample talent. However, now as he gears up of the Australia tour, bigger challenges are in the offing. Australia is a tough place to visit. There will be hostility, aggression, constant in-your-ear chatter. And for a teenager, on his first full overseas tour, it can get intimidating. However, Tendulkar is confident that the hostility and intimidation won’t affect Shaw. The Master is of the opinion that the teenager is ready for the Australia series given his talent and rapid progress. “Whatever I have known of Prithvi, I think he is ready for all that (hostility and sledging),” Tendulkar told Firstpost. “Sometimes it’s not the age, it’s what you do there that matters. So I would say that he is ready. He is matured, fast learner, he understands how things take place out there in the middle and he’s got the peripheral awareness to adapt to situations. Because every day he is going to meet with different challenges and he has to answer those questions asked by the bowlers. And he is ready for that I feel.” Tendulkar possessed rich experience of playing in Australian conditions, touring the country five times and scoring heaps of runs with a batting average of 53.20. While talking about how the first 15-20 overs will be crucial for batting, the 44-year-old said that the key to success for Shaw is to be himself, keep his mind clear and shut off from the outside world. “The key to success over there (Australia) will also depend a lot on how we play the first 25 overs or so. But it also depends on the kind of surfaces they will provide us,” Tendulkar explains. “If there are going to be green tops with lateral movement then 25 overs may have to stretch to 40-45 overs. The kookaburra plays differently because of the hardness of the surface there. After 25-30 overs, it becomes little soft and then it’s relatively easy to hit on the rise. And having seen Prithvi for a long time, I know he loves to play big shots and he is kind of a batter who likes to score his runs in boundaries. It’s going to be a wonderful experience for him. We all know that he has a promising future ahead of him and he just needs to be himself more than anything else. Not get into various things spoken about him because a sportsman when he has his mind clear that is when he is able to perform as his best. And that is what I would tell him, just go, stay focussed on your game, let other things happen around your game and that is a reaction to what you do on the field. So continue doing what you’ve been doing on field.” The 1991-92 Australia tour changed Tendulkar as a cricketer and 27 years later, Shaw might make another prophecy come true. *** The Australian challenge India have been a dominant force in Tests at home but the search for that elusive series win away from home still continues. But with Australia bereft of Steven Smith and David Warner who are serving one-year ban following the Sandpaper-gate, things might change. Tendulkar, who was speaking on the sidelines of the Tendulkar Middlesex Global Academy camp at DY Patil Stadium, the next leg of which will be held at The Bishops School in Pune from 12-15 and 17-20 November, felt that India might have a great opportunity to beat Australia this time around. “I think we have a huge opportunity (in Australia). The Australian team does not look the same Australian side that it used to be and with Smith and Warner not there, this is a great opportunity to go out and do something special," Tendulkar told reporters. Following a scathing review of Cricket Australia in culture report, Australian Cricketers Association has asked for the bans of the trio, which also includes Cameron Bancroft, to be lifted. Asked whether he would want to see Smith and Warner back on the field so that it makes for a good contest, Tendulkar said, “I would want to see good cricket for sure (in Australia). They both (Smith and Warner) are world-class players. So I don’t want to get into that debate whether the ban should be reduced or not. “But I would like to see them, but by no means I am saying or interfering in what their judgment has been. All I am saying in both are world class players.” *** The spark in Kohli and comparisons With Kohli gobbling up records after records, he is not far away (38) from breaking Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI tons after becoming the fastest player to score 10,000 runs. As the run-scoring juggernaut continues, Tendulkar says that he always saw that spark in the Delhi boy but the comparisons should stay away, both within and across generations. “Coming to Virat’s development as a player, I think he has developed immensely. And I always saw that spark in him. I always felt that he is going to be one of the leading players in the world, not just of this generation, but one of the leading players of all time,” Tendulkar told reporters. “And then it is again about opinions. But if one has to go into comparisons, then I don’t want to get into that. There were different bowlers who played in 60s, 70s, 80s, and possibly in my time and what they are playing today. So I wouldn’t want to get into that,” The 43-year-old told reporters. “I think first of all, like how Virat has said and I have been saying for 24 years that I have played. I have never believed in comparisons. “Each generation played differently, there were different rules, there were different restrictions, there were different surfaces, there were different balls also at times. I personally don’t feel one should be comparing different generations. But within a generation also, I personally believe there should not be any comparison because every player needs to be respected and judged as an individual, it doesn’t have to be always judged by comparing someone and I don’t believe in that,” Tendulkar added. *** On importance of Bumrah and strong bowling bench strength  One of the biggest turnarounds in Indian cricket has been the rise of pace bowling in the last few years which has instilled excitement and hope. However, it has also brought in a selection headache, albeit a good one. Tendulkar emphasised on the importance of having a good bench strength en route to 2019 World Cup and in particular Jasprit Bumrah in the line-up. “Good for us if there is competition and it is heating up, why not? Healthy competition is always welcome, that means we have got good fast bowlers, who are sitting on the bench also,” Sachin said. “Whenever bench strength is also strong, in case there are some injuries at the last moment, you know that someone sitting out is fully geared up and ready to go out and deliver. I think we are in that position at this stage. Yes, there is always room for improvement. They want to get better each time they get out on the field. In particular, (Jasprit) Bumrah’s presence is going to be important,” he signed off.