Former India U-19 captains Amit Pagnis and Ashok Menaria reckon the Yash Dhull-led India U-19 team are favourites to clinch the World Cup in the Caribbean.
India outclassed defending champions Bangladesh by five wickets in the quarter-final at Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua, on Saturday. Thanks to disciplined bowling from left-arm seamer Ravi Kumar (3-14) and left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal (2-25), Bangladesh were bundled out for just 111 in 37.1 overs. In reply, opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi 44 (7×4), Shaik Rasheed (26) and Dhull’s unbeaten 20 helped India secure a convincing win with more than 19 overs to spare.
India face Oz in semis
The four-time champions started their campaign with a 45-run win over South Africa at Guyana on January 15. However, the team lost captain Dhull and his deputy Rasheed for more than a week as their Rapid Antigen Test returned COVID-19 positive. But stand-in captain Nishant Sindhu led the team successfully against Ireland and Uganda to seal an entry into the quarter-finals. India will face Australia in the semi-finals at Antigua on Wednesday.
Amit Pagnis and Ashok Menaria
Pagnis, 43, who led the country in the U-19 World Cup held in South Africa in 1998, wants Dhull & Co to play the knockouts without taking any pressure. His team lost to Australia by six wickets at Super League stage in Centurion. “Our U-19 teams have been performing quite well since the last five-six years. Naturally, expectations to win the tournament are very high. But, if they manage to concentrate on the process rather than taking pressure and thinking about expectations, it will be easier to give their best and emerge champions,” Pagnis told mid-day on Sunday.
Pagnis, the former Mumbai and Railways Ranji Trophy batsman, urged the lower-order batsmen to contribute as well. “All our games in this World Cup were low-scoring ones and those were almost one-sided affairs as the top-order batsmen scored the required runs. But now, every player needs to be prepared and shoulder responsibility,” he said.
Menaria, 31, was India’s U-19 captain in the 2010 World Cup held in New Zealand, where a team comprising current Test openers KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal lost to Pakistan by two wickets with three balls to spare in a rain-hit 23 overs quarter-final at Lincoln.
Ample opportunities
Menaria felt the current India U-19 players are more focussed. “They want to play in the IPL and practise accordingly. These U-19 players get opportunities to play the Challenger Trophy and other series. I remember how our U-19 white-ball team [in 2010] were selected on the basis of performances in four-day cricket [red-ball]—the U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy,” said Udaipur-based Menaria.
“The pitches in the Caribbean and the way we are playing are a big advantage for us. We are far ahead of the Australian boys. I am sure we can easily win the World Cup. Our batsmen are prepared to face pace bowling, but the Australians will struggle to counter our spin attack,” remarked Menaria.
Brief scores
Bangladesh 111 in 37.1 overs (S Meherob 30; R Kumar 3-14, V Ostwal 2-25) lost to India 117-5 in 30.5 overs (A Raghuvanshi 44; R Mondol 4-31) by 5 wickets
