Friday, February 4, 2022

U-19 World Cup 2022: Dominating group stages to thumping Australia, India's road to final

India will meet England in the final of the U-19 World Cup at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua.

This is their fourth final in a row. In the 13 editions so far, they have reached the final eight times and went on to lift the trophy four times.

It's been a dominant performance from the Indian team at the 2022 U-19 World Cup so far. The topped their group winning all the three matches and then beat Bangladesh and Australia to reach the final.

The Yash Dhull-led side would be looking to lift the trophy for the fifth time when then meet in the final against England.

Here's a look at their journey to the 2022 U-19 World Cup final:

Group stage - Beat South Africa by 45 runs

India started off with a convincing win over South Africa Providence Stadium, Guyana. Though their batting stuttered, their bowlers stepped up to the occasion and delivered the goods. After being put into bat, India lost openers Harnoor Singh and Angkrish Raghuvanshi inside six overs. However, captain Dhull stepped up and steadied the ship scoring 82, enroute stitching crucial partnerships and achieve India some respectability. India lost wickets regularly and were bowled out for 232.

Indian team members celebrate a wicket against South Africa. ICC

In reply, all-rounder Raj Bawa and left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal scythed through the South African middle order to bowl them out for 187. Dewald Brevis, was South Africa's lone fighter with 65. Ostwal finished with figures of 5/28 while Bawa had figures of 4/47. That win set the tone for the tournament.

Group stage - Beat Ireland by 174 runs

India were dealth with a blow ahead of their second match as captain Dhull, vice captain Sheikh Rasheed, Aaradhya Yadav, Vasu Vats, Manav Parakh, and Siddharth Yadav tested positive for COVID-19. Battign all-rounder Nishant Sindhu captained the team in absence of Dhull. India though remained unfazed as the batters upped the tempo. Openers Raghuvanshi (79) and Harnoor (88) provided India the perfect platform after being put into bat by Ireland as they put on 164-run stand for the opening wicket. The middle order took over the mantle from the openers and propeled India to 307/5.

Harnoor Singh and Angkrish Raghuvanshi played knocks of 88 and 79 respectively as India posted in the allotted fifty overs. Twitter @BCCI

In reply, left arm seamer Ravi Kumar provided India the perfect start by removing opener Liam Doherty in the fourth over. Ireland collapsed from there on as India kept chipping away at the wickets. Almost all bowlers contributed as they bundled Ireland out for 133.

Harnoor was named the player of the match for his 101-ball 88.

Group stage - Beat Uganda by 326 runs

This was India's biggest win in the tournament so far. Raghuvanshi took over from where he left off in the last match against Ireland as he hit a mammoth 144 off 120 balls after Uganda opted to put India into bat. Though Harnoor and captain Sindhu didn't contribute much, Bawa gave solid support to Raghuvanshi and hit a blistering 162 off 108 balls, adding 296 runs off 140 balls with opener Raghuvanshi. India posed a mammoth 405/5.

With the win over Uganda, India topped Group B and the side will now lock horns in their quarter-final clash on 29 January. Twitter @BCCI

It was always going to be an improbable task for Uganda and they succumbed to the left-arm of spinner, who ripped through their middle and lower middle order to finish with 4/19 as India bundled Uganda out for 79 to top the table in group stage.

Quarter-final - Beat Bangladesh by 5 wickets

India received a shot in the arm ahead of the game as Dhull and Rasheed returned after recovering from COVID-19 but the Sindhu who stood in for Dhull missed out as he tested positive for COVID-19.

India avenged the 2020 U-19 final World Cup loss by clinching a hard-fought win over Bangladesh. They were made to work hard but this is where they showed that they can ace pressure situations and find a way through. Opting to bowl first, Ravi provided India the perfect start, ripping through their top order and reducing them to 14/3. The spinners then carried on the good work and bowled Bangladesh out for 111. Bangladesh wouldn't have crossed 100 but for the congributions of SM Meherob who was their highest run-getter in the innings with 30 from 48 balls, coming in at 8.

Ravi Kumar took three wickets for 14 in seven overs as India defeated Bangladesh in U19 World Cup quarter-finals. Image: Twitter/@BCCI

The Bangladesh pacers started off aggressively and had Harnoor back in the hut in the second over with nothing on the board. However, Raghuvanshi held fort at one end, saw off the tough period, built a 70-run stand with Rasheed to steady the ship. India however suffered a mini collapse going from 70/1 to 82/4. However, captain Dhull kept his calm and played a nicle little cameo of 26-ball 20 to soak the pressure and take India past the finish line.

Semi-final: Beat Australia by 96 runs

This was another challenging task. Australia had a formidable side. However, India came into the match one the back of five consecutive wins over the Aussies in the U-19 World Cup. And their continued their domination with a thumping win.

Electing to bat first, India didn't get off to a good start as they lost Raghuvanshi and Harnoor in a cautious start at 37/2 in the 13th over. The ever-reliable Dhull then brought stability as he stitched a with Rasheed. They took a cautious route, built the partnership and then accelerated. Dhull again aced the pressure situation as he hit a run a ball 110 while Rasheed missed out on his ton by just six runs. The lower-middle order provided a crucial late flourish which saw Dinesh Bana hit 20 off 4 balls, including 27 in the last over as India posted a competitive 290/5.

India celebrate a wicket during the U-19 WC final against Australia. Twitter/@BCCI

In big matches there is always the added pressure while chasing. And the Aussies succumbed to that pressure as opener Teague Wyllie walked back in the second over, trapped in front by Ravi with his trademark inswinger. Corey Miller and captain Cooper Connolly steadied proceedings with a 68-run stand but Sindhu, who was back after recovering from COVID-19, broke the stand in the 17th over.

It sparked a mini collapse as the spinners scythed through the middle order. Australia went from 71/1 to 125/7; Lachlan Shaw battled it out in the middle with a 66-ball 51 but in vain as India bowled Australia out for 194 and win the match by 96 runs.

Dhull was named the player of the match for his fantastic century. This was India's sixth consecutive win over the Aussies in the U-19 World Cup as they cruied into their fourth straight final.

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