5 sacrifices endured by Prithvi Shaw and his father that helped him earn his India cap

Prithvi Shaw, the much talked about youngster, has finally made his Test debut for India. At the tender age of 18, he is the youngest Indian in a decade to do so. On top of it, he managed to score his maiden hundred at over a run-a-ball in his debut inning.

Legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman are in awe of this youngster. But the journey to success hasn't been an easy one for this Mumbai lad. He has made plenty of his sacrifices and encountered a number of obstacles to earn his India cap.

Here is a look at 5 struggles endured by him that has made him the player he is:

#1 Coping with the loss of his mother at the age of 4

Prithvi lost his mother at the tender age of four years. This was a big shock to Pankaj, his father who dearly loved his wife. However, Pankaj focused all of his energies on Prithvi and cricket.

He enrolled Prithvi in a cricket academy soon after the death of his wife and dedicated his entire life to Prithvi and his dream of representing the nation. Prithvi and his father lived solely for one purpose - to make Prithvi succeed in cricket and earn his national cap.

#2 Journey from Virar to Bandra

Prithvi's father woke up at 3:30 am everyday and made breakfast for his child. At 4:30, the father and son duo left Virar to practice at MIG grounds in Bandra. While doing this, Prithvi used to sit on the shoulders of his father, so as to avoid himself from getting crushed by the peak hour crowds in the local trains of Mumbai.

While Prithvi practised all day, his father stood under the shade of a tree and observed his son's game, while sometimes making trips to local markets in order to find the best available cricketing gear for his son. After practising all day long, they returned home in the evening, ate a humble meal of roti with aloo ki subzi or anda ghotala, and lights were off at 9:30 pm. This happened day after day for years until Prithvi earned his first scholarship.

#3 Selling off Pankaj's shop & surviving on meagre savings

Prithvi's father had set up a garment business which was slowly starting to do well with clients in Surat and Baroda. However, in order to make Prithvi realise his dream of playing cricket, Pankaj sold of his shop and shut his business, in order to coach Prithvi and be there with him full time.

In a way, Pankaj dedicated his entire life to Prithvi, sacrificing his career and personal life, just so that his son could achieve his dream of playing for the nation. The father-son duo didn't have much financial aid, hence, they made peace with whatever came their way, with the only hope that cricket would one day make these sacrifices worth it.

They lived in a small chawl in the suburbs of Mumbai, and survived solely on the meagre savings Pankaj had when he sold his shop.

#4 No family vacations, treats with Chinese food

Throughout Prithvi's childhood, he did not have a single holiday. Each and every day of his life was dedicated to cricket. He and his father did not go for a single family vacation. On occasions like birthdays or days when Prithvi played well, Pankaj and Prithvi went outside to have a hearty Chinese meal.

They compromised and sacrificed a whole lot of family vacations and holidays, in order to prioritize the bigger picture of Prithvi being the best he can at the game of cricket.

#5 Batting in the nets all day long

Even though Pankaj had no background in cricket, he learned how to bowl just so that he his son could face more balls in the net during practice. On hot sunny afternoons when the regular bowlers were tired, Pankaj took on their job and bowled to Prithvi in the nets, sometimes for hours on end at the Air India ground in Kalina in order to help Prithvi hone his skills.

The father-son duo spent each and every minute they breathed with only one aspiration - to help Prithvi become a better cricketer and achieve his dream of playing cricket for the nation.