India vs Pakistan World Cup 2020: Yashasvi Jaiswal managed to forge his inner steel by scoring 207 runs from four matches.
India U19 vs Pakistan U19 (Ind vs Pak) U19 World Cup 2020 Playing XI: India’s colts will face another stern challenge when they take on arch-rivals Pakistan in the semi-final of the ICC U-19 World Cup on Tuesday. The Priyam Garg-led side are still unbeaten in this competition, and they will enter the contest on the back of a resounding victory against Australia.
Predicting India’s possible team line-up and the listing the challenges it faces based on the form book.
Yashasvi Jaiswal: The Indian opener’s rags-to-riches story is well chronicled. But in this U-19 World Cup, he has managed to forge his inner steel by scoring 207 runs from four matches. His duel against Pakistan pacer Abbas Afridi could be the highlight of this high-octane clash.
Divyansh Saxena: The swashbuckling southpaw is yet to get into the groove, having registered 89 runs from 3 matches. Divyansh will have his work cut out, because he will be pitted against Pakistan in the semifinal, who arguably have the best bowling attack in the tournament.
Thilak Varma: The stylish top-order batsman has got a hit in only one match — against Australia in the quarter-final — in which he could muster only two runs. But Pakistan can ill afford to take him lightly. If anything, they will remember his sensational 119-ball 110 that Thilak had scored against them at the Youth Asia Cup last year.
Priyam Garg’s wealth of experience will be his calling card against Pakistan. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)
Priyam Garg (captain): Priyam had a chance to be part of the 2018 U-19 World Cup in New Zealand two years ago. He could not make the cut owing to poor form. As the captain, his wealth of experience will be his calling card against Pakistan.
Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper): The MS Dhoni fan is the team’s crisis manager. Needless to say that it’s adversity that brings out the best out of this wicket-keeper batsman. If India are tottering at 20/3 against Pakistan, you don’t need to look beyond Dhruv to steer his team through.
Siddhesh Veer: A compact batsman, his biggest strength is his ability to mould his game according to the match situation. His off-spin and on-field athleticism had only enhanced his reputation in this format.
Atharva Ankolekar: The Mumbaikar is fulfilling his late father’s dream of representing India on the cricket field. His orthodox left-arm spin has been his forte, but in this World Cup, he has also showcased his potential with the bat, scoring a crucial 54-ball 55, batting down the order in India’s quarter-final win against Australia.
Ravi Bishnoi has 11 scalps from 4 matches. (Source: Twitter/cricketworldcup)
Ravi Bishnoi: With 11 scalps from 4 matches, the leg-spinner from Jodhpur has been tying opposition batsmen into knots with his guile and bagful of variations. His match-up against Pakistan’s prolific middle-order batsman Mohammad Haris will be a compelling watch.
Sushant Mishra: Bounce and pace are Sushant’s greatest allies. As a left-arm pacer, he brings variety to India’s bowling attack.
Kartik Tyagi has 9 scalps from 4 matches. (Source: Twitter/cricketworldcup)
Kartik Tyagi: If it was Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti who got batsmen hopping around with their brute pace in the 2018 edition, it’s Kartik’s turn to do so in this edition. The wiry pacer from Hapur has been consistently touching speeds in excess of 140kmph. His 9 scalps from 4 matches are a testimony to the fact that he is also blessed with match awareness.
Akash Singh: Kartik may have hogged the limelight with his pace and zip. But this left-arm pacer has quietly gone about doing what he does best — picking up crucial wickets in the middle and death overs — his 3/30 against Australia is the case in point.