CHENNAI: The junior India team is always filled with promise. The four titles before the final on Saturday is a testimony to the young India team's dominance in all formate of the game in a country that literally eats and breathes cricket. If the men are heroes in capes, the youngsters time and again showed they are the young Robins. Their skill and talent simply outshine the rest and at the U-19 World Cup, they exhibited just that.
Against England, in the summit clash on Saturday, Indian pacers rattled England, reducing them to 91 for seven. However, James Rew with a fighting 95, along with James Sales (34 n.o), revived the innings, taking the young lions to 189 in 44.5 overs. Raj Angad Bawa picked five wickets for 31 runs. India were in a tricky position at 178/6 after 47 overs, but Nishant Sindhu and Dinesh Bana held their nerve to take the team across the line.
The India side led by Yash Dhull were among the favourites to win. However, five days into the tournament, on the eve of their clash against Ireland (January 19), the team just had eleven players to take the field. As many as six players were exposed to Covid, including their captain Dhull and vice-captain Shaik Rasheed and were isolated.
Their support staff had to be substitutes and carry drinks. The young brigade did not let the pandemic or their struggles of isolation affect their campaign. Former India international VVS Laxman, who took charge as the head of the National Cricket Academy, flew in to the islands to take charge of the camp. Nishant Sindhu took over the armband, openers Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Harnoor Singh stepped up as they went past one hurdle at a time.
One might argue that the opponents weren’t as strong, but not all battles are fought on the field. As we have seen in the last couple of years, the mental challenge that Covid poses has had a drastic impact even on senior athletes. But, the virus could not shake the resolve and confidence of the young bunch of cricketers.
By the time Dhull and others completed isolation and joined the team, India had reached the quarterfinals with spinner Vicky Ostwal leading the bowling attack. However, this time, stand-in skipper Sindhu was out with Covid, handing back the baton to Dhull. Yet another clinical performance followed against defending champions Bangladesh as they reached the semis. On the big stage, the captain put his hand up and smashed a magnificent hundred against Australia while his deputy Rasheed missed on the landmark by just six runs. Ostwal spun his web, taking India to their eighth final appearance.
In a span of 20 days, the team was battered and bruised off-field issues with Covid, isolation, and whatnot. This young group stood tall as they found different heroes in different battles. Bawa against Uganda, Angkrish and Harnoor versus Ireland, Ostwal and Dhull against Australia.
If January 2021 went down as a remarkable month in Indian cricket for what the senior team had to endure as they made history in Australia, January 2022 was no different for the Colts. Their struggles might have been different from that of what the senior team had in Australia last year, but in many ways both encapsulated and told the world one thing. The talent and depth in Indian cricket know no bounds and the young generation of players coming through the ranks are a different stock. Neither will they shun away from a challenge nor will they go down without a fight.
Brief scores: England U-19 189 all out in 44.5 ovs (Rew 95; Bawa 5/31) lost to India U-19 195/6 in 47.4 ovs (Rasheed 50; Bouden 2/24)