Benoni, Feb 10: Few careers will get wings to soar while some will fade into oblivion but on Sunday, all those sprightly 18 and 19-year-old Indian boys will leave no stone unturned to win a record sixth ICC U-19 World Cup when they face Australia in the summit clash here.
On November 19 last year, an Australian team left Rohit Sharma and his band teary-eyed on a global stage and for the Uday Saharans, Sachin Dhas, Musheer Khans and Saumykumar Pandeys, beating an Aussie team would certainly be very sweet.“No, we are not thinking about revenge. We are firmly focussed on present and we neither want to dwell on past or look too far ahead,” skipper Saharan recently told PTI Bhasha in Benoni.
The Aussies have a quartet which could spell trouble for India and they are skipper Hugh Weibgen, opener Harry Dixon, seamers Tom Straker and Callum Vidler, the consistent performers during this edition.
India U-19 had beaten Australia in the 2012 and 2018 finals, and will again start favourites during this edition’s title match.
The Indian team has always been an age-group powerhouse, thanks to the talent the country produces in hundreds and their ninth global final is a testimony to the system that has been put in place for the last two decades.From 2016, India U-19s have played all the finals, winning the 2018 and 2022 editions while losing in 2016 and 2020.
The U-19 World Cup has presented stars like Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif, Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal to name a few, who have risen through the ranks. (PTI)
