An unbeaten India side will take on a highly-charged West Indies outfit today in what is expected to be a blockbuster Under-19 World Cup final at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
And it is the Indian youngsters who will enter the grand finale as the hot favourites. The three-time champions, coached by Indian legend Rahul Dravid, have been on fire throughout the 11th edition of the tournament and are on a 15-match winning streak.
Their journey in the tournament has been sensational and praiseworthy. The side captained by Ishan Kishan finished top of Group D with an all-win record against New Zealand, Nepal and Ireland. In the quarter-final, the sub-continent giant registered a crushing victory over surprise package Namibia before getting the better of Asian rival Sri Lanka in the last four.
Batting has been India’s strongest forte in the World Cup and it must fire one last time if they are to lift the title for a record fourth time. Led by Sarfaraz Khan who has shored up the middle order with four half-centuries in five matches, India can also count on explosive left-handed opening batsman Rishabh Pant, who has been in brilliant form so far.
Kishan’s form however, has been a concern so the India team management will be desperate to see its captain come good in the final.
The West Indies, on the other hand, might be slight underdogs but the side’s skipper Shimron Hetmyer has said repeatedly that they are not here simply to make up the numbers.
The Windies youngsters reached Bangladesh a few weeks ahead of the tournament only to suffer a 3-0 whitewash in a youth ODI series against the home side. They fared little better in their World Cup opener against England, falling to a 61-run loss, and were finding it difficult to negotiate the threat of spin.
But with the progression of the tournament, the Windies transformed themselves and adapted to the conditions to reach the final, beating an in-form Bangladesh side in the last four. This is the second time the West Indies have reached the final and only time will tell if they lift their maiden World Cup come today evening.
Hetmyer, Shamar Springer and the hard-hitting Gidron Pope have been key components of the West Indies side and they will once again be expected to deliver the goods today if they are to harbour any hopes of clinching the crown.
Much like the batsmen, the Windies’ bowling attack has barely let the side down. Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph has been a delight to the eye with some fiery spells and at times, his bowling speed was clocked in the region of 145km/h. The right-arm paceman will be hoping to lead his team to glory and banish the dark days that have engulfed Windies cricket right now.
The senior side are currently locked in a dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board over the remuneration package and if things turn worse, the WICB might be forced to send a second-string team to the upcoming World Twenty20 in India.
