After securing a historic win against Afghanistan in the second semifinal of the ongoing ICC Men's U19 World Cup, India captain Ayush Mhatre said that they will give their "110 per cent" during the summit clash against England.
Key Points
- India has reached its 10th ICC U19 World Cup final, the most by any team in the tournament’s history.
- This extends India’s dominance in the U19 format, ahead of Australia, who have six final appearances in 16 editions.
- The team is confident and in rhythm after a record chase against Afghanistan, setting them up as strong contenders for the title.
Record-breaking milestone
India sealed a record chase in the U19 World Cups after they secured a seven-wicket win by chasing down the 311-run target against Afghanistan. This was also the highest successful run-chase for India in U19 ODIs, bettering 304 against England in Taunton in 2002.
India also reached their 10th U19 World Cup final, the most for any team, followed by Australia with six in 16 editions of this tournament.
During the post-match presentation ceremony, Ayush Mhatre hailed opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for providing a quick start and releasing pressure from other batters during the monumental chase.
Ayush Mhatre confident ahead of U19 final
"Afghanistan started very well with the bat, and while our bowlers did well in the middle overs, they really got away from us in the final ten. Our discussion was simple: just play our natural game. The wicket was playing beautifully, a real flat wicket, so we knew if we played naturally, it would be a manageable total. (Sooryavanshi) He played a major role in the chase. Scoring 90 runs in the first 10 overs released all the pressure, making it much easier for the rest of us to build the innings," Mhatre said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
The Indian captain added, "(George) He is a classy, fabulous batsman. He didn't have many big scores leading into this, but he was always batting well in the nets. We were confident that if he played his natural game, he would come good. He anchored the innings perfectly. (Conditions here) The conditions at Harare Sports Club are excellent. The boys are in a good rhythm, and we intend to keep things simple and stay focused on the field. (Message to the fans) Just keep supporting us; your support boosts our morale. We will give 110% on the field and do our absolute best to win that match. (Recovery time before the Final) Yes, it's enough. We are used to these conditions and have played enough cricket back in India, where we often play every other day. We'll recover well and be ready."
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