ICC U19 World Cup 2024: How India U19 took a cue from senior cricketers to dictate terms against Ireland U19

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India U19 kick-started their ICC U19 World Cup 2024 campaign with a compelling win over Bangladesh U19 on January 20 at Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein. The Boys in Blue opened their account with a 84-run victory before churning out a 201-run win in their second game against Ireland U19 at the same venue on January 25, Thursday.

Batting first, India posted a colossal total of 301/7 in their designated quota of 50 overs. In fact, it wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible resilience shown by Musheer Khan (118) and skipper Uday Saharan (75). The duo took the game away from the opposition, courtesy of their 156-run liaison, which was the defining phase of the game.

For sure, the young lads picked up lessons from their senior counterparts who have thrived in the high-pressure tournaments. Here are the key lessons that young Indian players learnt from senior players

Game awareness

Understanding how India’s senior players prepare for marquee tournaments can come in handy. From what we can comprehend from India U19 performances in the tournament so far is that they were able to learn a thing or two by watching how seniors approach different scenarios. As a result, they were able to decode match situations and make wise decisions when it mattered the most so far in the first two games.

Handling pressure

The young lads must have observed how senior Indian players handle pressure in important phases of the game. During the game against Ireland U19, When India lost both of their opening pair, with the scoreboard reading 80/2, the team required someone to up the ante. Notably, the likes of Musheer Khan and skipper Uday Saharan helped the team bounce back.

The two batters took their time and ran hard singles and doubles to keep the scoreboard ticking. The sweep shot was used to perfection on the slow surface. But towards the business end of the innings, they cut themselves loose and dealth in fours and sixes.

As many as 119 runs were scored in the last 10 overs of the India innings. The India U19 batters backed themselves and hand the confidence to up the ante towards the end, just how their seniors have done it time and again.

The match-winning partnership helped India post a formidable total on the board. In reply, Ireland U19 were bowled out for 100 runs and lost the game by a huge margin. Naman Tiwari was the pick of the bowlers for the Boys in Blue as he accounted for 4 dismissals. Currently, India U19 sit on top of the points table with two back-to-back wins and are on the brink of a Super Six place berth.