Welcome to Sportstar's Coverage of the 2022 ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup Final between India and England. This was Lalith Kalidas bringing you the updates as action unfurled at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.
SCORE
The much-awaited moment arrives as Dhull collects the trophy from Sir Richie Richardson. He joins a historic list of captains in Virat Kohli, Prithvi Shaw, Mohammed Kaif and Unmukt Chand to clinch the U-19 World Cup!
Yash Dhull, India captain: Proud moment for India, that we have managed to achieve this. It was difficult at the start to get the combination right. but as time went we became a family and the team atmosphere was good. Great moment to be playing under this lot of support staff.
Tom Prest, England captain : We would have liked to bat batter after chosing to bat first. But the was James Rew batted was oustanding, deserved a hundred. We definitely got the bowling and we did believe we could defend this. But they batted well. Not only the cricket, but the media exposure we have got is something we will not forget.
Player of the Tournament is awarded to South Africa's Dewald Brewis after a record-breaking tournament, scoring 506 runs in 6 matches.
POTM, Raj Angad Bawa for his 5 for 31 and 35 with the bat - "Always feels special to win any game, but to do it in the final is a great feeling. Just went out to execute the plans we discussed with the coach and captain."
India head coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar: "It's too exciting for my good, but happy with the result. I think we learned a lot from this. We were looking to bat as well. There was a little bit of moisture. [Dhull] led them very well. He has a very good head on his shoulders. I think it's a fabulous competition, getting this stage to perform at this young age, for all teams. It's a great opportunity to showcase talent and for the academies around the world."
VVS Laxman: "Firstly huge congratulations to the selection committee. It was a new selection committee and quite challenging for them to identify this group. After that, the coaching staff with Hrishikesh as the head coach, Sai Raj, Munish, and all the support staff, the way they got this group together, they worked really hard, won the Asia Cup and the preparation for this World Cup was fantastic. But in the middle of this tournament, we all know what happened.
IND 195/6 in 47.4 overs:
A tame delivery down leg and Nishant nudges it fine for
FOUR! He brings up
his FIFTY with a single. What a knock under pressure as he brings up his maiden half-century in the tournament. Sales strays to the pads and
Bana whips it away for SIX! 1 to win. Full toss and Bana sends it over long-on for SIX!!!! Glimpses of a MS Dhoni finish there?
A fifth title for India and the team storms into the ground in jubilation!!!
Sales into the attack
India needs 12 to win in 18 balls
IND 178/6 in 47 overs: Tambe slashes straight to point. An excellent grab from Ahmed as India loses its sixth wicket. Dinesh Bana walks in at 8. A couple of nervy dots before Bana flicks one down to mid-wicket. Sindhu retains strike with a single.
Kaushal Tambe c Rehan Ahmed b Aspinwall 1 (9b)
Aspinwall is back
IND 176/5 in 46 overs: Ahmed pins Tambe to the crease and concedes just a single in the over.
IND 174/5 in 45 overs: Nishant releases the pressure with a fine whip over mid-wicket for FOUR. Boyden gifts him a half-tracker and the left-hander duly obliged with a fine thump over the fielders.
IND 169/5 in 44 overs: Nishant drills Ahmed through extra cover for a beautiful FOUR. Ahmed believed to have him cramped him for room but Nishant gently shuffled across to place the ball through the gap for a boundary.
IND 164/5 in 43 overs: Boyden to Raj. OUT! Raj slaps the ball straight to mid-on. Boyden sends in a slower-delivery that shoots up to Raj who miscues the pull to the skipper Prest. Is there in a late twist for the evening? Kaushal Tambe walks in at 7.
Raj Bawa c Prest b Boyden 35 (54b 2x4 1x6)
Boyden into the attack
IND 160/4 in 42 overs: Ahmed drifts one away with a sharp googly and the ball clips the outside-edge to slide past the keeper for FOUR. England's passiveness costing it another chance as Prest follows it up with a slip in place.
IND 155/4 in 41 overs: Aspinwall drops one on the slot and Raj Bawa clobbers the ball over long-on for SIX! Aspinwall follows up with two deliveries in the blockhole. Make that three in a row.
IND needs 44 to win in 60 balls
IND 146/4 in 40 overs: Ahmed returns. He continues to slide the ball into the batters from around the wicket. Ahmed wafts one in full and Nishant slams the ball over long-on for SIX!
India needs 52 runs in 66 balls
IND 138/4 in 39 overs: Aspinwall continues to fire in and force the batters deep into the crease. Raj and Nishant continue to push about the circle to knock off the odd single.
IND 135/4 in 38 overs: Prest's wily slides crashes into Sindhu's pads as the fielders go up in a loud appeal. The umpire denies their calls as the ball evidently slides down leg.
IND 133/4 in 37 overs: No nonsense from Nishant and Raj who continue to churn in the runs through singles. DRINKS have been called on for as India needs 57 from 13 overs.
IND 129/4 in 36 overs: A rare loosener from Prest that slides down leg. Nishant sets himself forward and sweeps it fine for FOUR.
IND 123/4 in 35 overs: Aspinwall overpitches and Raj pounces on the ball and sends it down the ground for FOUR. He tucks one fine and finds a couple of runs.
Aspinwall returns
IND 117/4 in 34 overs: Prest slides the ball in and Nishant gets a thickish outside-edge that just flies past the keeper down to third-man for two runs.
IND 112/4 in 33 overs: Nishant and Raj keep themselves busy with a couple of singles. India is gently knocking off the remaining runs and would just be happy to roll as it is. England, meanwhile, is aiming for that one moment of madness that can topple India's chase.
IND 109/4 in 32 overs: Prest rushes through another decent over. Just two runs from it and the chase continues to intensify, a wicket right now could flip the scales altogether.
IND 107/4 in 31 overs: Sales offers room and Nishant hammers the ball through cover for FOUR. He follows up with a single and Raj gets an inside-edge down to square leg for another single.
IND 100/4 in 30 overs: Hundred up for India. The side would have itself in a much better position to rejoice the mark had the skipper and his deputy held their guards down. Nevertheless, there's no rush whatsoever for Nishant and Raj as India needs 90 runs in 120 balls
Prest returns
IND 98/4 in 29 overs: Short and Dhull pulls to the man in the deep! India has lost its batting mainstays in succession and the contest has just worked up some life in it. Sales hits the deck hard as Dhull shuffles across to pull the ball. He fails to get the desired timing on it and finds the backward square leg fielder. Game on, says England! Raj Bawa in at 6. He's off the mark with a push down to long-off.
Yash Dhull c Bell b Sales 17 (32b 1x4)
Sales returns
IND 97/3 in 28 overs: Sindhu gets off the mark of the final ball as he tucks Ahmed's slide to square for a couple of runs.
IND 95/3 in 27 overs: Back to back fifties for Shaik Rasheed! Back in time from a COVID-forced break and here he is, playing two high-class innings under mounting pressure to direct India towards the title. And he falls soon after! Rasheed holes out to mid-wicket as he miscues a length delivery to Rew who clings on after juggle. A lapse in concentration cuts short Rasheed's rearguard and Nishant Sindhu comes in at 5. Shaik Rasheed c Rew b Sales 50 (84b 6x4)
IND 89/2 in 26 overs: Ahmed continues to find the perfect angles to glue the batters to the crease. A short cover and mid-wicket and place and Dhull fails to maneuver the ball across the field to rotate strike.
India needs 101 runs in 25 overs as we begin the final half of the tournament.
IND 89/2 in 25 overs: India has not had it easy in the chase. England have dried up the runs but have done little to uproot the batters of their groove.
IND 83/2 in 24 overs: Prest tosses the ball in and Rasheed creams it through extra cover for FOUR. He's slowly picking up on his scoring rate and India strolls towards the three-figure mark.
Prest returns
IND 76/2 in 23 overs: Runs easing out a bit for Dhull and Rasheed. They continue to exchange strike with singles as India maintains its stand over this chase.
IND 70/2 in 22 overs: Aspinwall bumps one in but Dhull stands tall in the crease and whips it down the ground for FOUR. He slashes another short ball over point and gets a single. Width again and Rasheed slashes it through backward point for FOUR this time. Dhull bumps his fists at the non-striker's as India finally picks up the pace in the chase.
IND 59/2 in 21 overs: Rasheed drives an overpitched delivery from Bethell past extra cover but the ball is cut across by the fielder in the deep. Just the two runs off the over.
IND 57/2 in 20 overs: Rasheed breaks the shackles with a thumping square cut for FOUR. Aspinwall treads a tad too short and Rasheed was on it in a flash.
IND 52/2 in 19 overs: Bethell's off to a decent start as Dhull and Rasheed nudge about the circle for a couple of singles.
Bethell into the attack
IND 49/2 in 18 overs: Aspinwall to Harnoor. OUT! A fiery bumper down leg and Harnoor gloves the ball before wicketkeeper Horton puts in a sensational dive to glove the ball. A similar dismissal to the semifinal as Harnoor throws away another start. Skipper Yash Dhull in at 4. Aspinwall running in with purpose as he tails in a couple of deliveries to Dhull who solidly blocks them off.
Harnoor Singh c †Horton b Aspinwall 21 (46b 3x4)
IND 48/1 in 17 overs: Ahmed slides the ball in and Rasheed tucks it fine for FOUR. He drives a loopy delivery down to sweeper cover and is limping as he completes a single.
IND 41/1 in 16 overs: Aspinwall hits the deck hard and gives no room to Harnoor who fails needle the gaps on the off-side once again.
Thomas Aspinwall into the attack
IND 40/1 in 15 overs: Maiden for Ahmed. He comes around the wicket to Harnoor who fails to push a couple of sliders off the inner-circle. Rehan completes the over with a fuller deliver that drifts in to hit the pads as Harnoor misses a sweep from outside the off-stump.
IND 40/1 in 14 overs: Harnoor and Rasheed continue to negotiate Prest with singles. Three runs come off the over.
IND 37/1 in 13 overs: Ahmed keeps the batters wound to the crease. Two runs from the over as India slowly build towards the 50-run mark.
IND 35/1 in 12 overs: Prest races through his over and concedes a solitary run from it. The spinners have done well to build up the pressure but England's passive field setting might just not shudder the batters at the moment.
IND 34/1 in 11 overs: Ahmed tosses the ball up nicely and finds a hint of drift away from the batters. Just a single coming off the over as Harnoor and Rasheed settle in nicely.
Rehan Ahmed into the attack. No slips in place for the leggie.
IND 33/1 in 10 overs: Prest loops the deliveries into Rasheed and cramps him off the fuller length. He drives one down the ground for a lone single and retains strike. Rasheed is in some discomfort. Perhaps suffering from cramps as the physios rush on to the field.
IND 32/1 in 9 overs: Boyden tucks the ball in and Harnoor sends it to the backward square leg fence for FOUR with a wristy flick. Boyden overpitches and Harnoor lofts the ball over a diving mid-on fielder for another FOUR.
IND 24/1 in 8 overs: Prest starts off with a decent line, looping the ball into Rasheed who neatly tucks them off the front-foot. Prest beats the outside-edge and the keeper flicks the bails in a flash. Loud shout but Rasheed has planted his foot well within in the crease. Maiden for the skipper.
Skipper Tom Prest into the attack
IND 24/1 in 7 overs: Boyden lures Harnoor forward and has his blade hang well away from his feet. The ball clip the outside-half and falls short inches short of Ahmed at point.
IND 23/1 in 6 overs: Sales fends short and Harnoor swivels to pull the ball over mid-wicket for FOUR. Lucky reprieve for Harnoor as he miscues a slower-delivery down leg, inches away from the mid-on fielder's reach.
IND 18/1 in 5 overs: Boyden continues to push the ball into the middle-stump but Rasheed shuffles across to elegantly send the ball to the mid-wicket fence for FOUR this time.
IND 13/1 in 4 overs: Sales loses his composure as he sprays three consecutive deliveries down leg for wides. Rasheed takes advantage by focing Sales to bowl a third-one down the line by advancing down the track. Superb timing from Rasheed as he follows up with a cracking FOUR off the backfoot through cover.
IND 5/1 in 3 overs: Boyden giving nothing away to the batters. He continues to pump the ball into Rasheed from over the wicket. Rasheed continues to nudge and block off the incoming deliveries, just the single from the over.
IND 4/1 in 2 overs: First runs for India as Harnoor opens his account with a single down to fine leg. Sales strays to the pads and Rasheed pushes the ball fine to sneak in two runs. Superb stop at cover from Luxton. Rasheed rocks back to punch the ball swiftly through cover and Luxton makes a full length dive to his left to deny a boundary.
James Sales from the opposite end
IND 0/1 in 1 over: Boyden starts from the over wicket to the right-handed Raghuvanshi. He hits the length and angles the first ball outside the off-stump. EDGED AND GONE! A dream start for England in its modest defence. Raghuvanshi gets a fine edge to the keeper as the left-armer lands an early blow for the Indians! Shaik Rasheed walks in at 3. A solid block off the middle-stump of the first ball. Boyden tails the ball into the stumps again and Rasheed employs a solid push back to the bowler. Maiden for Boyden! Six balls perfectly on the money and England has sent an early message across to India in its chase.
Left-armer Josh Boyden up with the new ball. Raghuvanshi on strike.
Back for the chase! India openers Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Harnoor Singh walk out to the middle.
Another near-flawless performance with the ball from the Indians. They have dismantled all oppositions in the full in this tournament and began well with the ball despite being denied a bat first on a fine wicket. Ravi Kumar's early burst followed by a fired-up Raj Bawa show put England in shambles before a gritty fightback led by James Rew took the side closer to 200.
Raj Bawa is the second bowler and first Indian to pick up a five-wicket haul in the U-19 World Cup final. Pakistan's Anwar Ali was the first to the feat during the 2006 final against India.
ENG 189 all out in 44.5 overs: A fifer for Raj Angad Bawa!
He follows up a bouncer with a fuller delivery to trap Boyden in the crease. A genuine outside-edge falls straight into Bana's gloves.
India 190 away from a record-extending fifth title!
Joshua Boyden c †Bana b Bawa 1 (5b)
Raj Bawa is back. Who'll rack up a fifer tonight?
ENG 185/9 in 44 overs: Rew falls short of his century as Kaushal Tambe pulls off a blinder at mid-wicket to end a dreamy knock. Ravi Kumar drops the ball short and Rew seemed to have connected the ball well across the ropes before Tambe intercepts the ball at the ropes and juggles and almost loses the ball off his reach before putting in a full-length one handed dive to his front to latch on. India finally has its man and would be aiming to wrap this up quickly from here. Aspinwall in at 10. Edged and Gone! Ravi picks up his fourth wicket. The left-armer slides the ball across from over the wicket and the ball clips the thick outside-edge before sailing to Bana behind the stumps. Boyden, the last man. He keeps out a couple of deliveries that tail into the off-stump.
James Rew c Tambe b Ravi Kumar 95 (116b 12x4), Thomas Aspinwall c †Bana b Ravi Kumar 0 (2b)
ENG 184/7 in 43 overs: Four dots on the bounce as Hangargekar mixes up his lengths to Sales from around the wicket. The breeze helps the Indian seamer to push the ball further away from Sales through the air. Pressure mounts on Sales, five dots now as he fails to put bat to ball. Sales nudges the last ball to point and sets off on a risky single but is rightfully sent back by Rew. A direct-hit from point would've had him packed for tonight.
ENG 184/7 in 42 overs: A loud appeal from Bana behind the stumps as Sales moves forward to drive and misses. The umpires seek a review. Ostwal loops this one in and Sales drags his feet forward and has his back-foot in the air for a jiffy as Bana flicks the bails in a flash. NOT OUT , reads the electronic board as Sales draws his foot back just in the nick of time. He gets off strike with a single to long-on. Short and put away by Rew with another superb sweep through square leg for FOUR. Ostwal strays to the pads and Rew needles it fine for another FOUR before finding two runs off a scoop. What a turnaround this is for the young English side.
Ostwal into the attack.
ENG 173/7 in 41 overs: A close call there. Sales nudges the ball to point and sets off on a quick single. A lapse in judgement from the fielder there as he has a shy at the non-striker's end even as Rew was well short of the crease at the other end.
ENG 167/7 in 40 overs: We move into the final 10 and it couldn't have possible if not for the rearguard action from Rew and Sales. Three runs from the Ravi over as England will now hope to get past 200.
ENG 164/7 in 39 overs: Rew and Sales continue to display excellent awareness to find the quick singles. They are deftly taking the innings deep before aiming to launch an assault on the bowlers. The plans have worked to a tee so far.
ENG 159/7 in 38 overs: Rew slices the ball off the length down to third-man for a single. Sales flicks the next to mid-wicket and hands the strike back to Rew who settles into the 80s. Ravi slides one down leg and the ball clips low onto Rew's pads as they sneak in a single. A subdued appeal from the bowler as the umpire paces to his right to signal leg byes.
Partnership moves to 65 off 76. Ravi Kumar to continue
ENG 156/7 in 37 overs: Raj tucks one in to Rew who dangerously pulls the ball to mid-wicket for a single. India has not had a real hard crack yet at this pair and they continue to maneuver the field to find the singles.
Raj Bawa is back
ENG 153/7 in 36 overs: Ravi drops one short and Rew hammers it through mid-wicket for FOUR! 150 up for England and the southpaw has put up a sturdy fightback with some company from Sales down the order.
Ravi Kumar returns
ENG 145/7 in 35 overs: Raghuvanshi floats one in and Rew swiftly advances to loft the ball over cover for FOUR. The partnership has done enough to frustrate the Indians as Dhull rummages through his options.
ENG 139/7 in 34 overs: Tambe wafts the ball into the slot and Rew leans into the pitch and sweeps the ball fine for FOUR.
Tambe replaces Ostwal. Dhull constantly shuffling his spinners.
ENG 131/7 in 33 overs: Raghuvanshi slides the ball into the batters who have done reasonably well to negotiate the spinners. Two runs of the over and England is doing just about enough to push towards a respectable total.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi into the attack
ENG 129/7 in 32 overs: Ostwal cramps the batters into a tight line around the stump before dropping short for the last ball. Rew pounces on it and pulls handsomely to find FOUR runs through mid-wicket.
Ostwal replaces Sindhu
ENG 123/7 in 31 overs: Hangargerkar pumps one short from around the wicket and Rew swivels to bash the ball through mid-wicket for FOUR. Hangargekar responds with another fiery delivery up onto the batter's grille. Concussion test back in place as the umpires call for DRINKS. Hangargekar continues. Rew nudges one past point for a single. Hangargekar keeps Sales on his toes with a fiery bumper before squaring him up with a fuller-length delivery that flies past the outside-edge.
ENG 118/7 in 30 overs: Rew brings up his FIFTY with a single down to long-on. He's soaked in the pressure well from one end as his mates went tumbling down at the other. The England dug-out applauds the fine knock in unison. Sindhu feeds the ball short and Sales slices it past point for FOUR.
ENG 113/7 in 29 overs: Hangargekar mixes up his lengths as Rew and Sales negotiate with a couple of singles.
Hangargekar returns
ENG 107/7 in 28 overs: Another freebie on the slot and Rew slog-sweeps the ball over mid-wicket for FOUR.
ENG 101/7 in 27 overs: Rew lead England past 100. Something to rejoice after two hours of absolute let-downs. Tambe tosses the ball in on the full and Rew once again unleashes a fine reverse-sweep for FOUR and retains the strike with a single.
ENG 96/7 in 26 overs: Sales prods and pushes to see of Sindhu's wafty deliveries. A maiden for the left-armer on return.
Sindhu into the attack
ENG 96/7 in 25 overs: Horton holes out to mid-wicket! There's the breakthrough after a quiet fightback from England. Horton shimmies down to cross-bat Kaushal across the line and sends the ball straight to the skipper Yash. England falls into deep agony as India cruises towards the half-way mark in resounding fashion. James Sales in at 9. He's up and running as Tambe strays to the pads. Sales needles it fine and gets FOUR runs.
Alex Horton c Dhull b Tambe 10 (21b 2x4)
ENG 90/6 in 24 overs: Horton and Rew keep themselves busy with a slew of singles. India not employing the same killer instinct as it did close to the first quarter. Can the spinners lure the batters into some flashy strokeplay soon enough?
ENG 87/6 in 23 overs: Another loose delivery onto the pads and this time Horton nudges it fine for FOUR. India seeming a bit quiet of late as Horton and Rew find easier runs across the field.
ENG 82/6 in 22 overs: Ostwal drops short down leg and Rew swivels to flick the ball to fine leg for FOUR. A couple of singles follow as England continues to stay afloat.
ENG 75/6 in 21 overs: Kaushal tosses one in and Rew lands an effective reverse-sweep past third-man for FOUR.
Kaushal Tambe
ENG 70/6 in 20 overs: Ostwal pins Rew back onto the crease and he negates the left-armer off the backfoot. Four runs from the over.
ENG 67/6 in 19 overs: Horton finally gets off the mark as Raj errs on length. Horton elegantly puts away the overpitched delivery through extra cover for FOUR.
ENG 62/6 in 18 overs: Rew continues to hold one end down. Ostwal gets prodigious turn and bounce off the length as Rew does well to push them to the surface. Just the single from the over.
Vicky Ostwal into the attack
ENG 61/6 in 17 overs: There goes another, a fourth for Raj Bawa! He conjures up the perfect delivery outside off-stump on length as Ahmed lunges forward to push. The ball clips the outside-edge and sails straight to Tambe who makes no mistake at first-slip this time. Alex Horton in at 8. A cracker from Raj to Horton first-up. He hits the deck hard and crashes the ball into Horton's grille and the physio is out for another concussion check.
Rehan Ahmed c Tambe b Bawa 10 (12b 1x4)
ENG 60/5 in 16 overs: Ravi offers a hint of room and Ahmed elegantly creams the ball through point for FOUR. He cuts again and this time it's stopped by the sweeper cover.
ENG 52/5 in 15 overs: Raj overpitches and Ahmed misses out on a scoring opportunity as he drives the ball straight to cover point. Raj continues to trouble the batters with his fiery bouncers. He hits Ahmed flush on the helmet and the umpires have called on for a concussion test.
ENG 48/5 in 14 overs: Ravi Kumar hisses past Rew's flashing willow outside the off-stump but the umpire isn't interested. Just the one run from the over as India forces England deep into a corner.
India in a mood to attack. Ravi Kumar returns.
ENG 47/5 in 13 overs: Edged and taken by Bana! Raj gets his second wicket as Luxton outside-edges on a delivery that stands up to him from length. What an hour for India as England finds itself struggling to stand up in the contest. George Bell in at 6. OUT, first ball! An absolute corker from Raj Bawa as he bounces Bell out. Cross-seam and hitting the deck, the ball shoots up to brush Bell's gloves as he rocks off the surface and Bana takes another fine catch. Two in two for Raj and India takes complete control of proceedings. Luxton c Dinesh Bana b Raj Bawa 4(8), George Bell c & b Bawa 0 (1b)
ENG 44/3 in 12 overs: Nishant keeps Luxton guessing with subtle variations in pace as he loops the ball in to the right-hander. Luxton is up on his toes and does well to watchfully negotiate a couple of lethal drifters that waft into middle-stump.
ENG 42/3 in 11 overs: Straight up in the air and GONE! Thomas holes out to cover. Two overs of constant pressure from either end has the England opener gifting his wicket to Raj Bawa. Raj pushes the ball full as Thomas launches a pre-meditated slog over but miscues it altogether to send England stumbling further down the barrel. William Luxton in at 5. He gets off the mark instantly with a slice through backward point.
George Thomas c Dhull b Bawa 27 (30b 4x4 1x6)
ENG 37/2 in 10 overs: Sindhu gets Thomas on the back-foot with a much better line of attack. A cracking drifter cuts past Thomas' outside-edge as he attempts to drive the ball on the full and misses. A rash heave through mid-wicket gets him off strike before Rew blocks out a couple of loopy deliveries to end the over.
ENG 36/2 in 9 overs: Raj cramps Rew with a tight line from over the wicket. Four dots on the trot. Maiden for Raj as Rew fails to crack the attacking lengths of the bowler.
Raj Bawa replaces Hangargekar
ENG 36/2 in 8 overs: Sindhu starts with a juicy full-toss, duly put away past cover for FOUR by Rew. Sindhu shortens his length and gets imminent turn and bounce.
Nishant Sindhu into the attack
ENG 31/2 in 7 overs: Hangargekar cramps up Rew with a couple of deliveries onto his ribs. Rew quickly nudges one to mid-wicket and gets off strike. Hangargekar lures Thomas forward and away for a drive and beats him with pace. Edged and dropped! Thomas prods forward for another drive and edges the shorter delivery straight to Tambe who drops a sitter at first-slip!
ENG 30/2 in 6 overs: Ravi tails the ball in and Thomas flicks it over short fine leg for FOUR. Ravi continues to obtain minimal swing but errs in his line over there. Thomas continues to latch on any loose delivery. Ravi Kumar drops one on length and Thomas shimmies down the pitch and punches the ball through cover for FOUR.
ENG 21/2 in 5 overs: Hangargekar regains his composure and attacks the stumps with a full-length deliveries. Rew and Thomas get a couple of singles as England aims to steady the ship.
ENG 18/2 in 4 overs: Ravi Kumar shapes the ball away from Prest to the keeper. Chopped on! Ravi brings the ball back in swiftly and the England skipper has pulled it back to his stumps. He falls for a duck and James Rew comes in at 4. Maiden for Ravi as he maintains his nagging line outside the off-stump to the left-hander.
Tom Prest b Ravi Kumar 0 (4b)
ENG 18/1 in 3 overs: A flourishing cover drive from Thomas opens the boundary count for England with a FOUR . Hangargekar follows up with a loose delivery on to the pads and Thomas lofts it over mid-on for another FOUR. Short again and Thomas nonchalantly whacks it over mid-wicket for SIX!
ENG 4/1 in 2 overs: Top start for Ravi! He attacks the left-handed Bethell with a probing delivery outside the off-stump, drawing him forward to push. The ball whiffs past the outside-edge and the Indian fielders go up in an appeal which is denied. Ravi tails the ball in sharply into the blockhole and Bethell flicks it fine for two runs. Loud shout and given! Ravi Kumar slides one in sharply and the ball hits flush on Bethell's back pad. The umpire raises his finger in a flash. And just like the semifinal and the quarters, the left-armer has struck early! Skipper Prest in at 3. Ravi gushes one into the blockhole and Prest attempts to keep it off tracks but misses. What an over from the young lad from Bengal. Jacob Bethell lbw b Ravi Kumar 2 (5b)
Ravi Kumar from the opposite end
ENG 2/0 in 1 over: Hangargekar bursts in with a quick fuller delivery outside the off-stump and Thomas attempts for a sheepish drive but misses. Hangargekar maintains his line wide off the batter who lets a couple of deliveries on their way. First runs of the blade as Thomas pushes a full-toss down the ground for FOUR.
Rajvardhan Hangargekar up with the new ball. George Thomas and Jacob Bethell at the crease.
READ: Meet Rajvardhan Hangargekar, India’s 19-year-old speed merchant
The Indian colts walk out to the field and is followed by the England openers.
Game On!
6:22PM IST: The players walk out for the national anthems.
India U19 XI : Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Harnoor Singh, Shaik Rasheed, Yash Dhull(c), Nishant Sindhu, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Dinesh Bana(w), Kaushal Tambe, Raj Bawa, Vicky Ostwal, Ravi Kumar
England U19 XI : George Thomas, Jacob Bethell, Tom Prest(c), James Rew, William Luxton, George Bell, Rehan Ahmed, Alex Horton(w), James Sales, Thomas Aspinwall, Joshua Boyden
TOSS: England wins toss, opts to bat
Yash Dhull, Indian skipper: We also wanted to bat first. We take it game by game and we play with a positive mindset. Change of venue doesn't bother us. No changes in the playing eleven for us.
Tom Prest, England captain: We will have a bat first, pitch looks a good one and obviously scorecard pressure, chasing in a finals is always hard
Pitch report: "A batting paradise, that's all I can describe about this surface. It is hard as a rock, there isn't any live grass. The batsmen can trust the bounce and the bowlers need to find way to restrict runs and take wickets. Both teams have quality batsmen and they also have depth in their batting line-up and I think we are gonna see a batting masterclass," says Samuel Badree.
Toss coming up..
5:44PM IST: Here's a look at the top performers from India and Australia
Leading run-scorers
Timothy Prest (ENG) - 292 runs in 5 matches (HS: 154*, Ave: 73.00, 100s - 1, 50s - 1)
Angkrish Raghuvanshi (IND) - 278 runs in 5 matches (HS: 144, Ave: 55.60, 100s - 1, 50s - 1)
Leading wicket-takers
Joshua Boyden (ENG) - 13 wickets in 5 matches (BBI: 4/16, Ave: 9.53, Eco: 3.17)
Vicky Ostwal (IND) - 12 wickets in 5 matches (BBI: 5/28, Ave: 10.75, Eco: 3.39)
5:32PM IST: Skipper Rohit Sharma sends his wishes for a record fifth title.
5:15PM IST: India - Road to the final
England - Road to the Final
5:05PM IST:
We're under an hour away from the toss. Meanwhile, here's what India skipper Rohit Sharma had to say about the young boys in the Caribbean.
MATCH PREVIEW
The Indian team is high on confidence after having tided over an outbreak of COVID-19 within the squad and will aim to clinch its fifth U-19 World Cup title on Saturday. It was awaits England, which beat Afghanistan in a nip-and-tuck contest on Wednesday, in the final at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium here.
India has had a smooth run to the final despite captain Yash Dhull, vice-captain Shaik Rasheed, and others missed two of the three league fixtures due to COVID-19. Dhull has lived up to expectations in the three innings he has played so far, scoring a sublime ton in the semifinal against Australia . Rasheed, too, has shown his brilliance with the bat.
What makes India’s teenagers look the part is their unexpected maturity. The way Dhull and Rasheed batted after a poor start against Australia was a lesson in pacing the innings. Only a few out of the current lot are likely to graduate to the highest level in the years to follow but in the short term, a special performance on Saturday afternoon can land them a life-changing IPL deal at the upcoming mega auction.
While the batters have shone through with individual performances, the bowling department has fired in unison.
The extra pace of Rajvardhan Hangargekar and the swing of left-armer Ravi Kumar have rattled top-order batters from the opposition, while the spin attack, led by Vicky Ostwal, has stifled the opposition in the middle overs. Ostwal is India’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with 12 scalps at 10.75.
Summing up the team’s confidence ahead of the final, Rasheed said: “We are a very good team. We are looking to win the finals.”
The U-19 stars are also getting to learn from the best. Virat Kohli, who went on to become a world beater after captaining India U-19 to the title in 2008, gave a pep talk to the class of 2022 on how to approach the high-pressure final.
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England, on the other hand, as a good opportunity to break its U-19 World Cup title drought. It hasn’t won the tournament since 1998.
Like India, England remains unbeaten in the tournament. Captain Tom Prest has led from the front with 292 runs at an average of 73, while left-arm fast bowler Joshua Boyden has taken 13 wickets at an average of 9.53. India batters will also need to be wary of wrist spinner Rehan Ahmed who is tasked with providing breakthroughs in the middle overs.
Irrespective of the result in the final, though, the Indian boys have had their moment in the sun in the Caribbean.
- PTI
Where and how to watch live coverage of India vs England U-19 World Cup final?
The India U-19 vs England U-19 World Cup final match will be aired live on Star Sports Network .
How to watch India vs England U-19 World Cup match online?
The online streaming of the India U-19 vs England U-19 World Cup final match will be available on Hotstar .
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