India will lock horns with sub-continent rival Bangladesh in the ICC Under-19 World Cup quarterfinal on Thursday. Captain Prithvi Shaw and Co. justified the favourites' tag with a thumping 100-run win over Australia in the opening encounter.
India has hit the right notes with both bat and ball. While Shaw has 151 runs from three matches at an impressive strike-rate of 108.63, Shubman Gill has been an able second fiddle with scores of 63 and 90 against Australia and Zimbabwe respectively. While the form of the top order has been quite impressive, India's middle order hasn't been tested ahead of the knockouts, and early breakthroughs could put its batting to the sword.
READ: IPL Auction 2018: 5 India U-19 cricketers to look out for
In the pace department, K.L. Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi have earned high praise for clocking 90 mph at regular intervals. Against Australia, Nagarkoti claimed four wickets but has struggled with his line and length since.
READ: U-19 World Cup: Nagarkoti and his cricket ‘sanskar’
Mavi, meanwhile, has combined pace with swing to pick up six wickets and the duo will test Bangladesh batsmen to the hilt, and to top it all off, left-arm spinner Anukul Roy has troubled the opposition with guile and turn. Roy bagged his maiden five-for and followed it up with another four-wicket haul against Zimbabwe.
A collective team effort from Bangladesh has seen it sail into the quarters. Towhid Hridoy's 122 coupled with Afif Hossain's five-for sank Canada.
Afif followed up his bowling heroics with a half-century in the next match after the Bangladesh top order came to a cropper against England's opening bowlers.
READ: U-19 World Cup: Afghanistan knocks Kiwis out, storms into semifinals
With Afghanistan thrashing host New Zealand by 202 runs to enter the semifinals for the first time, an upset, despite India's sizzling form, can't be ruled out.
Comments
SHARE