All eyes on Sunday will be on the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup final, as India, five-times champions, take on Australia. Uday Saharan’s side are one victory away from emulating the U-19 World Cup-winning teams of Mohammed Kaif, Virat Kohli, Unmukt Chand, Prithvi Shaw, and Yash Dhull. Both sides will go into the final after thrilling wins in the semi-final. The India colts have made it to the final on nine occasions, winning five times. Shreevats Goswami, a integral part of the 2008 triumph, wanted the current lot to enjoy the moment and not take too much pressure thinking about the final.
“It is going to be tough, as we all know Aussies are a tough nut to crack,” he said in an interview with RevSportz. “They have also done well in the tournament. They are mentally very strong as well. They are used to winning big games. Our boys should also feel confident as they have also won every single match leading into the final. The role of the coaches and support staff will be important to keep a calm atmosphere in the dressing room.”
Saharan has led from the front, scoring 389 runs in six matches at an average of 64.83, with a century and three fifties. He showed excellent temperament during the semi-final against hosts South Africa, bailing out the team from deep trouble at 32-4. Saharan was involved in a match winning partnership of 171 runs with Sachin Dhas.
“A captain’s job is to lead from the front and that is what Uday Saharan has been doing right throughout the tournament,” said Goswami. “During our successful campaign, Virat used to lead by example. The temperament he showed in that semi-final win against South Africa, especially after losing four wickets for 32 runs, was excellent. It was a superb partnership with Uday and Sachin Dhas.
“Sachin too has looked very impressive in the tournament, along with the likes of Musheer Khan and Arshin Kulkarni. Some of the shots he played off the back foot were great to watch. He looks to have the talent to make it big in future.”
The India U-19 team will expect much from Musheer and Kulkarni in the final on Sunday. Both would want to score big, having failed in the semi-final.
“Musheer have showed tremendous mental strength, like his elder brother Sarfaraz,” said Goswami. “And that is a great quality to have so early in your careers. Both Musheer and Sarfaraz have the knack of doing well in crunch situations. Arshin too has shown great temperament.”
Goswami also shared his thoughts on the 2008 final against South Africa in Kuala Lumpur. The Kohli-led Indian side ended up winning the final by 12 runs, by virtue of D/L method. “The final against South Africa was affected by rains,” said Goswami. “I still remember their wicketkeeper, during an interview to Alan Wilkins, said they will win the game during a rain break. That fired us up and as soon he was in the middle, we were after him. Virat was very animated on the ground, which he still is.
“There will be pressure whenever you represent your country but fortunately, we did not have a lot of pressure. Prior to that U-19 World Cup, we toured South Africa and did not lose a single game. We were a very confident side. We did not lose a single game in the tournament leading up to the final. Most of us were part of the team for almost two years.”
The best part of that 2008 U-19 World Cup-winning team was the camaraderie they shared with each other. “We still have that U-19 WhatsApp group on our phones, and we share jokes and memes,” said Goswami. “Whenever somebody does well, we pass on congratulatory messages. We share photos and funny incidents from that campaign and laugh about it. The best thing about that group was we were all very good friends. We still are in touch with each other.”
As for Saharan and his team, Goswami stressed on the need to enjoy the occasion. “All I would want to say is to enjoy the moment and do not take too much pressure thinking about the final,” he said. “Do not worry about the result. Just go out in the middle and enjoy.”
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