A slight defect in India opener Prithvi Shaw’s backlift is responsible for his struggles in the Test series in Australia, says batting great Sachin Tendulkar.

Shaw was dropped for the ongoing second Test in Melbourne after the 21-year-old managed scores of zero and four in Adelaide where India registered their lowest innings total (36) and were thrashed inside three days.

“I feel it’s the backlift,” Tendulkar said on his YouTube channel while analysing Shaw’s technique. “I feel his hands are moving away from his body, and then coming in. So, it’s a scoop, rather than a pendulum or a cradle, which goes in a straight line.”

The curved arc of the bat makes Shaw particularly vulnerable to faster deliveries, said Tendulkar.

“When you’re scooping, you don’t get the timing right and you edge the ball either on the outer side or the inside.

“When you’re batting well your timing is going to be right, but when you’re not, the straighter backlift helps.”