Prithvi Shaw stuns Tim Paine with an acrobatic flying catch during a tour game

It seems that Prithvi Shaw is trying to make a statement ahead of the four-match Test series against Australia that gets underway on December 17. While he failed miserably with the bat after failing to trouble the scorers in the first innings, he made up for it on the field by taking a spectacular catch to get rid of none other than Tim Paine.

'Unbelievable Grab'

This happened during the tour match between Indians and Australia A in Sydney on Tuesday. Skipper Paine had batted brilliantly well and was nearing a well-deserved half-century. He had added 104 runs for the sixth-wicket stand along with Cameron Green after his side were reeling at 98/5. 

On the final ball of the 59th over, Team India's Test specialist Umesh Yadav had bowled a well-directed short ball as the wicket-keeper batsman pulled it aggressively to the leg-side, and even though, he had timed his pull shot perfectly, an alert Prithvi Shaw judged the ball well and took a flying catch at backward square leg as the Australian Test skipper's stay at the crease came to an abrupt end and he walked back for 44.

"Another short one and that is taken. What a catch that is! Unbelievable grab at backward square leg. A fantastic leap from Prithvi Shaw. Umesh Yadav dug it in, it needed a spectacular grab and Prithvi Shaw supplied that", said the commentators on air. 

The video of this unbelievable blinder was posted by Cricket Australia on their official Twitter handle. Take a look.

It was indeed sweet revenge for the youngster after Paine had him caught behind off pacer James Pattinson in the third over of Indians' first innings. Nonetheless, Shaw ensured that he settled scores in style.

Shaw, who had led India to their record fourth ICC U-19 World Cup triumph in 2018 has not been included in the limited-overs squad for the ongoing series but is a part of the Test squad. He will be expected to open the innings in case he features in the Playing XI. 

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Can Team India do the unthinkable?

India have their task cut out once regular skipper Kohli leaves the Australian tour midway as they will have to play out of their skins in order to retain the iconic Border-Gavaskar Trophy that they had won a couple of years back on Australian soil by beating a depleted Australian side. Their star players Steve Smith and David Warner were handed a 12-month suspension from international cricket for their involvement in the infamous ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in March 2018. 

The odds are even this time as the Aussies will be fielding a full-strength squad that consists of Warner, Smith, Marnus Labuchagne, etc. The Tim-Paine led Australians are currently the top-ranked Test side and are also at the summit of the ICC World Test Championship.

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