The Indian Under-19 team, considered one of the best, especially after its splendid showing in the last nine editions of the World Cup, performed to its potential once again and reached yet another World Cup final. In fact, this is now a fourth consecutive World Cup where the Indian colts have reached the final.
The unfortunate part, though, has been that India has lost in two of the past three editions, including the last one — surprisingly against Bangladesh, which is considered one of the weaker units in elite cricket.
Whether or not the boys in blue will be able to make it through this time is yet to be seen, but their road to the final hasn’t been easy. Just like other fellow teams, Indian players have also had to battle Covid-19 on their way in this tournament.
IND U19 vs SA U19: A tough battle to start with
The start of the tournament for India, one of the two finalists of last edition, though on the back of a U19 Asia Cup triumph, was not ideal. But it managed to eke out a victory still. The Indian team was bowled out for a meagre 232 in the 47th over, with skipper Yash Dhull playing the lone warrior with an innings of 82 before getting run out.
Apart from Dhull, vice-captain Shaik Rasheed and Kaushal Tambe made important 30s. However, it was the bowlers that came to India’s rescue and managed to bowl out the South Africans for only 187, eventually winning the game by 45 runs.
It wasn’t as easy as reading it might make be. At one stage, with a set Dewald Brevis playing at 68, accompanied by George Van Heerden, and the junior Proteas needing only 95 runs to win from 87 balls with seven wickets in hand, the match seemed to be going only one way, that wasn’t India’s for sure. But Raj Angad Bawa and Vicky Ostwal turned the game on its head, removing the last seven SA wickets for only 49 runs.
Battling Covid-19 and struggling to field Playing XI
Just after the first game, five players in the 16-member Indian squad tested positive for coronavirus and it became very difficult for the management to field an XI. Had one more member of the squad tested positive, it would have even led to the team’s disqualification for inability to field an XI. The Indian team played its next two games against Ireland and Uganda without the services of its original captain Dhull and vice-captain Rasheed, under the leadership of Nishant Sindhu.
IND U19 vs BAN U19 | Quarterfinal: Exacting revenge
In the quarterfinal, both Dhull and Rasheed returned to the team, but their services were hardly even needed as bowlers dismantled the Bangladesh unit with ease. Ravi Kumar, with his left arm in-swing, played the wrecker-in-chief for India. He picked up three wickets to bowl the junior Tigers out for 111.
The Indian team chased the total down in only 30.5 overs, even as it lost five wickets. Angkrish Raghuvanshi top-scored, with 44. It was an easy revenge for thier loss in the final of the 2020 edition of the World Cup against the same opposition.
IND U19 vs AUS U19 | Semi-Final: An easy passage to the final
Some thought that India’s match against Australia would be the toughest played so far this season, but in the end it turned out to be an easy passage for the Indian colts to the final.
After early blows, the Indian batting was boosted by a 204-run stand between its captain and vice-captain. Though Rasheed was dismissed for 94, Dhull completed his first century of the World Cup and took India to a winning score of 290.
The bowlers were also up to the mark. After only one strong partnership of 68 runs for the second wicket between Campbell Kellaway and Corey Miller, the junior Aussies could not get their act together. Vicky Ostwal was once again among wickets; he had three scalps to his name in this game.
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