NORTH SOUND (ANTIGUA), Feb 5: An utterly dominant India won a record-extending fifth U-19 World Cup title here on Saturday, beating England by four wickets in the final of an extraordinary campaign that was almost derailed by a COVID-19 outbreak.
The triumph bore resemblance to the exploits of world-class Indian U-19 teams of the past.
Intrepid and industrious in their approach, the starry-eyed Indian players’ success stories also gave a glimpse into the world’s most perfectly calibrated youth structure, which is capable of consistently producing world-class cricketers who are ever ready to take on the biggest of challenges.
In a reflection of India’s dominance, wicketkeeper Dinesh Bana finished the chase of 190 with two sixes and 14 balls to spare.
On winning the toss in the big final, England captain Tom Prest rightly chose to bat first to avoid the “scoreboard pressure” during the chase.
India did the next best thing: bowl out the opposition for a total – 189 in this case, in 44.5 overs – that failed to put them under pressure.
India were all over England before a gritty 95 by James Rew saved his team the blushes.
Bowling his medium pacers to deadly effect, Raj Bawa (5/31) ran through the English middle-order after the in-from left-arm seamer Ravi Kumar (4/34) laid the opposition low with two early blows.
India kept taking wickets at regular intervals but not for once did the intensity of the team dropped.
For close to 19 overs, Rew and James Sales (34 not out) defied India with their 93-run eight-wicket stand, ensuring the 1998 edition winners recover from a horror 61 for six and then 91 for seven.
In response, India lost Angkrish Raghuvanshi without a run on the board but the extremely talented Shaik Rasheed shone with a composed 50 off 84 balls.
Coming off his magnificent century in the semi-final against Australia, skipper Yash Dhull fell for 17, but the duo of Nishant Sindhu (50 not out) and Bawa (35) took the team within striking distance of victory with a 67-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
It has been an extremely challenging ride for the Indian team in this edition of the tournament as multiple players from the side were infected by the coronavirus and at one stage even struggled to field eleven fit personnel.
However, despite the huge setback that almost derailed their campaign, India came back a stronger unit focussed on correctly doing the things that were within its control.
Their clinical on-field performance told a very different story, a story far removed from all the troubles that the team went through off it, when as many as seven players were infected with the virus.
BCCI to felicitate U-19 boys
in Ahmedabad
The triumphant India U-19 squad will be felicitated by the BCCI in Ahmedabad upon its arrival in India.
On Sunday, the BCCI announced cash reward of Rs 40 lakh each for the squad members and Rs 25 lakh each for support staff.
With little time to celebrate the success in the Caribbean, the squad will take the long flight back home on Sunday evening with connecting flights from Amsterdam and Bangalore before eventually landing in Ahmedabad.
Fresh from their win in the final, the boys headed to Guyana from Antigua and were felicitated by the Indian High Commissioner KJ Srinivasa. The players were tired but enjoyed clicking pictures with the great Sir Curtly Ambrose, who was present at the function.
Dhull captained the Indian team in the Caribbean while Hrishikesh Kanitkar headed the support staff.
National Cricket Academy chief VVS Laxman was also in the Caribbean. He played a massive role in taking care of the team in the wake of a COVID outbreak which left five players infected including Dhull and his deputy Rasheed. (PTI)
