'We were little scared of Rahul Dravid' - Prithvi Shaw recalls experience with U19 World Cup coach

Although Prithvi Shaw is just 21 and has a long way to go, he has garnered praises from many cricket stars in his short career. The right-handed batsman likes to attack bowlers from the outset, and his temperament also looks solid. Hence, many back him to become the next big thing in world cricket. While Shaw hasn’t look apprehensive against some of the best bowlers, he admitted being a little scared of Rahul Dravid.

Shaw and Dravid joined forces to help India win the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2018. While Shaw was the leading India U19 in the tournament, Dravid was the head coach. Talking about his experience with the Indian cricket legend, Shaw revealed that Dravid doesn’t force anyone to change their natural game and only comes in when mistakes are repeated.

Rahul Dravid never changed anybody’s natural game: Prithvi Shaw

“We toured together with sir (Dravid) before the world cup (U19) also. He never forced any player to be like him. He didn’t change anything in batting. Told me to stick to my natural game. He knew if I play the Powerplay overs, then it’s difficult to get me out,” Shaw told Cricbuzz.

“He mostly talked about the mental aspect, tactics, and how to approach a game. He never spoke much – just during meetings. Wanted us to enjoy the game. If we are repeating mistakes then on;y he’ll come and tell you about it,” he added.

Shaw also revealed that the Under-19 squad was slightly scared of Dravid while training, but the former Indian captain was a relaxed personality out of the field. “With Rahul sir, you have to be disciplined. We were a little scared of him. Off the field, he was quite friendly with us, used to join us for dinner, sitting with a legend like him was a dream come true. Every youngster dreams of that,” the Delhi Capitals opener asserted.

Dravid, now the National Cricket Academy (NCA) director, has trained many youngsters during his tenure as India Under-19 coach, who went on to play for the national team. Shaw also belongs to that category. The dashing opener opined that Dravid knew the thought process of youngsters. Hence, he used to speak with each player individually to bring the best out of them.

“I am sure he’s also gone through the phases of U19 cricket. So he knew exactly what to get in from us during the tour. Used to speak with each player specifically,” he said.