The young guns from India have won every match they have played so far in the tournament, including three matches in the Group Stage, two in ‘Super Six’ and the semifinal victory against hosts South Africa, which ended in a close two-wicket win for India.
Australia too are unbeaten, with one of their matches, the Super Six game against the West Indies, ending as ‘no result’. They defeated Pakistan by just one wicket in a pulsating semifinal.
Coming back to it being another big-stage title-decider between India and Australia, the India U-19 captain Uday Saharan refused to look at it that way.
It’s nothing like a revenge or a grudge match, the right-handed batter reckoned.
“I am not thinking anything like that,” Saharan said, as quoted by PTI, ahead of the final. “We are focusing on our game and we have to give our best. We are playing according to the match conditions.”
From Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli to Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, the U19 World Cup has given India players who have gone on to become big stars.
But Saharan, who is currently the top scorer of the tournament with 389 runs in six matches at an average of 64.83, isn’t looking too far ahead and is focused on the giving his best in each outing.
“I never think about it. I don’t think about the past. I just think about how I can give my best for the team and how to get the best out of the team,” he said.
Australia captain Hugh Weibgen seemed ready for the challenge when the two in-form and best teams of the tournament meet for the trophy.
“India are a class team. They will come out and compete really hard – we’ll love that challenge, we’ll love that fight and we are really looking forward to it,” Weibgen told the ICC website.
Defending champions India will take a shot at record-extending sixth U19 World Cup title, while the Aussies hope to lift the trophy for the fourth time.