Heavyweights India are seeking their eighth summit clash qualification when they face Australia in a blockbuster Super League semifinal of the ICC U-19 World Cup 2022 on Wednesday, having beaten their opponents on the field and COVID-19 off it, on way to the last four stage. Batting first, India set a target of 291 runs thanks to a stunning double-century stand between skipper Yash Dhull (110 off 110) and his deputy Shaik Rasheed (94 off 108). (More Cricket News)
India were heavily hit by the virus when six members including captain Yash Dhull tested positive midway into the tournament. But keeping the virus aside, India went out strongly to beat Ireland and Uganda heavily to book their place in the quarterfinals.
Dhull and Co. returned against defending champions Bangladesh and took perfect revenge for their 2021 final loss with a five-wicket victory. The India vs Australia encounter will start at 6:20 PM IST and will be live on Star Sports channels.
The India vs Australia ICC U-19 World Cup 2022 semifinal can be seen live on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports Select 2, Star Sports Select 2 HD. Disney+ Hotstar will live stream the India vs Australia ICC U-19 World Cup 2022 semifinal from 6:20 PM IST.
The good news for India is the return of Nishant Sindhu, who has recovered from COVID-19 and will be available for selection for the all-important semifinal. But if the match against Bangladesh was any indication, India would like to improve their finishing with bat.
Now up against a formidable Australian side, India will take confidence from the fact that they made the semifinals with wins on the trot despite the challenges posed the virus. This is the fourth time in a row that India will be appearing in the last-four stage of the competition.
India have a strong batting presence with the likes of Harnoor Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Raj Bawa shouldering the responsibility, besides skipper Dhull and Sheikh Rasheed. The bowling department is taken care of by left-arm pacer Ravi Kumar, right-arm seamer Rajvardhan Hangargekar, spinners Vicky Ostwal and Kaushal Tambe.
As far as Australia are concerned, the two-time champions will be on a high after their convincing win over Pakistan in the quarters. Australia have a superstar in the making in opener Teague Wyllie.
Wyllie was at his fluent best against Pakistan, helping his side get off to a terrific start as he stroked eight fours in an impressive 97-ball 71 India will be wary of him. Tom Whitney and William Salzmann were the stand-out performers with the ball against Pakistan, and there's hardly any obvious weak link for India to exploit.
IND Vs AUS Head-To-Head
India enjoy a healthy 5-2 record against Australia in U-19 ICC World Cups. Baring the two losses in the 1988 and 1998 editions, the Indians have won every single time the teams have met since then, including 2012 final – best remembered for Unmukt Chand’s majestic 111 not out that helped India win.
Squads:
India U-19: Harnoor Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shaik Rasheed, Yash Dhull (c), Raj Bawa, Siddarth Yadav, Kaushal Tambe, Dinesh Bana (wk), Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Vicky Ostwal, Ravi Kumar, Garv Sangwan, Aaradhya Yadav, Manav Parakh, Nishant Sindhu, Aneeshwar Gautam, Vasu Vats
Australia U-19: Teague Wyllie, Corey Miller, Isaac Higgins, Cooper Connolly (c), Nivethan Radhakrishnan, Campbell Kellaway, Aidan Cahill, Tobias Snell (wk), William Salzmann, Tom Whitney, Harkirat Bajwa, Jack Sinfield, Joshua Garner, Jack Nisbet, Lachlan Shaw
