Venue: Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo
Date & Time: Saturday, January 17; 1:00 PM (IST)
Victory. That is what matters at the end of the day for India. It was not entirely convincing, especially in the way they batted, but the team will be relieved to get two points on the board. To bundle out the USA for a paltry 107 after bowling in largely unfamiliar conditions at the Queens Sports Club was a commendable effort. Henil Patel made an early mark in the tournament with exceptional figures of 5 for 16 in seven overs. Others chipped in as well — Deepesh Devendran, RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan and Khilan Patel all looked in great rhythm.
The run chase seemed like a walk in the park, especially given the experience and success Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the Indian openers, have enjoyed at senior level. They were expected to steer the team home, but the conditions got the better of them. Both were dismissed early, failing to judge the pace and bounce of what proved to be a seam-friendly track. Captain Mhatre had no hesitation in admitting that they could not read the conditions perfectly. “We have not played in these conditions before; it is different from India, and the pitch was challenging,” Mhatre said after the match.
In a run chase reduced to 96 via the DLS method, India lost three early wickets. If not for Abhigyan Kundu’s calm and composed 42, India would have struggled to hunt down the target. Lessons must be taken from this game, especially by the batting group.
Conditions are unlikely to be easy for batting, as was evident in the first match. With a quick turnaround, the nature of the pitch is not expected to change much. Indian batters such as Mhatre and Vaibhav will need to apply themselves to score runs. As Mhatre said, the conditions are different and challenging, and it will be a test of character and technique. More responsibility will rest on these two, as Aaron George, the team’s in-form batter, is nursing a tennis elbow injury. The top-order batter was unavailable for the tournament opener and is unlikely to feature in this match as well.
Vedant Trivedi, who batted at number three, did not look convincing, and the pressure will be on him to deliver. This will be a real test for India against the Bangladesh bowlers.
Iqbal Hossain, Rizan Hossan and Al Fahad are expected to pose a stern challenge to the Indian batting line-up. Left-arm spinner Samiun Basir will lead the charge in the middle overs.
As far as Bangladesh are concerned, they are led by captain Azizul Hakim, who brings a fair amount of experience, and much will depend on how he marshals his side. He is also one of their top batters, alongside his deputy Zawad Abrar. Both have scored over 1,000 runs in Youth ODIs since the last World Cup. Kalam Siddiki adds further weight to the line-up, his 857 runs in the same period marking him as another dependable presence. Batting, however, remains a work in progress for Bangladesh, which is why their squad leans heavily on all-rounders to provide balance and depth.
History favours India, who have won 21 of the 28 matches played between the sides across all competitions. However, the last time the two teams met was back in the Asia Cup final, where India lost. The 2020 World Cup final defeat also remains fresh in memory.
At the Under-19 level, Bangladesh are never opponents to be brushed aside. Adding to the context are the ongoing geopolitical tensions between the two nations, which have impacted cricketing relations in recent times. In Bulawayo, one would sense the echoes of that tension.
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