TIME FOR SOME HIGH-FIVES!

Four-Time Champions India Have Everything Going For Them As They Lock Horns With England For The Title  

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Having successfully overcome a Covid-19 outbreak in their camp, India’s under-19 team is writing an inspirational story of its own at the junior World Cup in the West Indies. Gunning for their fifth title after crushing Australia by 96 runs in the semifinal, a buoyant India — even more fired up after a pep talk by Virat Kohli — face England in the final at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Saturday. England, who beat Afghanistan by 15 runs in the first semifinal, are aiming for their first crown in 24 years.

While the head coach is former India allrounder Hrishikesh Kanitkar, the team is also being guided by batting legend VVS Laxman, who is there in the West Indies as head of the National Cricket Academy. A win will help erase memories of the last youth World Cup in South Africa in Jan 2020, when India lost an ill-tempered final to Bangladesh in South Africa. Unlike England, India have been a dominant force in this tournament, having reached their eighth final and their fourth in a row. No other team has reached as many finals or won more.

Putting on a complete show with both bat and ball in the second semifinal at Coolidge in Antigua, India overcame a couple of early jolts with a massive 204run stand for the third wicket between captain Yash Dhull, who scored a brilliant 110, and his deputy Shaik Rasheed (94) .

India scored 290 for five — including 108 in the last 10 overs — before skittling out the Aussies for 194 in 41.5 overs as the bowlers too came to the party. It was India’s fifth win on the trot, a commendable feat after a string of Covid infections ensured they could barely manage to field 12 players against Ireland and Uganda.