India are the most
successful team in the ICC U-19 World Cup history, with four trophies in eight
finals in 14 editions. At North Sound, Antigua, on Saturday, a talented Indian
side will chase for their record-extending fifth title against England boys,
who are chasing their only second title in 24 years. Considering the talent and
depth in both sides, the summit clash of the ICC U-19 World Cup is expected to
be a mouth-watering clash.

Also Read: Sachin Tendulkar hails ‘huge milestone’ India set for in 1st Windies ODI

Yash Dhull and Co. will aim
to add to India’s rich legacy when they take on England at the Sir Vivian
Richards Stadium. India so far have had a smooth ride in the tournament,
winning all their matches despite the coronavirus forcing captain Dhull and
vice-captain Shaik Rasheed to miss two of the three league matches.

A mature batting line-up

Dhull has lived up to his
talent in the three innings he has played so far including the sublime hundred
in the semifinal against Australia where India won by 96 runs. While Dhull
scored 110, Rasheed missed his ton by just six runs. They are certainly the
future stars to watch out for, irrespective of the result of the final.

Also Read: U-19 World Cup: Yash Dhull joins Virat Kohli in elite list of Indian skippers

Opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi
and Harnoor Singh were extra cautious in their approach in the semifinal
against Australia and the duo will need to change their approach for the summit
clash.

What makes India’s bunch of
teenagers look the part is their unexpected maturity. The way Dhull and Rasheed
batted after a poor start against Australia was a lesson in pacing the innings.

Also Read: U-19 World Cup: Skipper Yash Dhull’s century helps India eliminate the Aussies

Only a few out of the
current lot are likely to graduate to the highest level in the years to follow
but in the short term, a special performance on Saturday afternoon can land
them a life-changing IPL deal at the upcoming mega auction.

Extraordinary bowling attack

While the batters have put
up individual performances, the bowling department has fired in unison.

Also Read: Sourav Ganguly confirms India Sri Lanka pink ball day and night test

The extra pace of Rajvardhan
Hangargekar and swing of left-arm fast bowler Ravi Kumar has rattled the top
order batters while the Vicky Ostwal-led spin attack has stifled the opposition
in the middle overs. He is India’s leading wicket-taker with 12 scalps at
10.75.

Summing up the team’s
confidence ahead of the final, Rasheed said, “We are a very good team. We
are looking to win the finals.”

Also Read: Commonwealth Games 2022: Cricket becomes first sport to confirm teams

The U-19 stars are also
getting to learn from the best.

Virat Kohli, who went on to
become a world-beater after captaining India U-19 to the title in 2008, gave a
pep talk to the class of 2022 on how to approach the high-pressure final.

They face England, a team
which last reached the title clash way back in 1998 when it won its sole trophy
till date.

Also Read: India vs West Indies ODI series to be held behind closed doors

England eye first title in 24 years

After a tense finish in the
semifinal against Afghanistan, England will be more than keen to end their
title drought of the last 24 years.

Like India, England too
remain unbeaten in the tournament. Captain Tom Prest has led from the front
with 292 runs at an average of 73 while left-arm pacer Joshua Boyden has taken
13 wickets at a stellar average of 9.53.

Also Read: Knows conditions well: Darren Sammy backs Kieron Pollard, West Indies for India tour

India batters will also need
to be wary of wrist-spinner Rehan Ahmed who is tasked with providing
breakthroughs in the middle overs.

Irrespective of the result
on final, the Indian boys have had their moment in the sun in the Caribbean but
given the high expectations they set for themselves, they will settle for
nothing less than a trophy.

Also Read: Shaheen Afridi picks Indian trio as dream hat-trick, reveals most prized wicket

Squads:

India: Yash Dhull (captain),
Harnoor Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Siddarth
Yadav, Aneeshwar Gautam, Manav Parakh, Kaushal Tambe, Rajvardhan Hangargekar,
Vicky Ostwal, Garv Sangwan, Dinesh Bana, Aaradhya Yadav, Raj Bawa, Vasu Vats,
Ravi Kumar.

England: Tom Prest
(captain), George Bell, Joshua Boyden, Alex Horton, Rehan Ahmed, James Sales,
George Thomas, Thomas Aspinwall, Nathan Barnwell, Jacob Bethell, James Coles,
William Luxton, James Rew, Fateh Singh, Benjamin Cliff.