Under-19 World Cup final, India vs England: Match preview
India will square off against England on Saturday in the ICC U-19 World Cup final in Antigua. India are the most dominant side in the U-19 World Cup history. They have won the title on record four occasions and Saturday's final will be their eighth appearance in the summit clash. They are the only side to reach four back to back World Cup finals.
Why does it matter?
India will head into Saturday's fixture as favorites and will look to bag their fifth U-19 WC title. In India's way stands a stubborn England side, which is looking to create its own history by winning its maiden title in the 21st century. India were the favorite to win 2020 final but were humbled by Bangladesh and England will aim to emulate the same.
India vs England: H2H record
India and England have met in U-19 WC on seven occasions with the Men in Blue leading the head-to-head tie 5-2. This is the first time India are facing England in the final. England have a 100% record in the final, having won the only final (1998) they played in the tournament. India have played seven finals and won four of them.
Interesting stats related to the game
As per ESPNcricinfo, Tom Prest is the second player to lead England to the U-19 World Cup final after Owais Shah (1998). Indian spinners have the best average in the tournament, having picked 26 wickets in five games at 12.34. Both Indian and England openers have done well in the tournament as they are the only two teams with a 45-plus average opening partnership.
Top performers from India in U-19 WC
With 278 runs under his name, Angkrish Raghuvanshi is the leading run-getter from India. Raj Bawa is sitting at the second spot with 217 runs at 72.33. Yash Dhull has amassed 212 runs in the tournament in just three games. Vicky Ostwal is leading India's wickets column with 12 wickets at 10.75. Nishant Sindhu has registered six wickets under his name in four games.
Top performers from England in U-19 WC
Rehan Ahmed (12 wickets) is England's standout performer. He has picked three four-wicket hauls in the competition. Joshua Boyden has claimed 13 wickets in five games at 09.53. Prest is the leading run-getter. He has scored 292 runs in five games. Jacob Bethell is occupying the second spot with 203 runs under his belt at 40.60. George Thomas has scored 177 runs at 35.40.
India's road to the final
India topped Group B by winning all three matches. They started the tournament with a comprehensive 45-run win over South Africa. Next, they bested Ireland by 174 runs before hammering Uganda by 326 runs in their last group game. They defeated Bangladesh by 5 wickets in the quarter-finals. India battered Australia by 96 runs in the semi-final.
England's road to the final
England won all three group games to finish the first round as table toppers. England started their campaign with a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh. Next, they hammered Canada by 106 runs and then humiliated the United Arab Emirates by 189 runs. They passed the South Africa test in quarters by six wickets. In the semis, they (won by 15 runs) broke Afghanistan's heart.
India and England's possible playing XI
A look at India and England's probable playing XI: India: Harnoor Singh, Angrish Raghuvanshi, Shaik Rasheed, Yash Dhull (captain), Siddarth Yadav, Raj Bawa, Kaushal Tambe, Dinesh Bana (wicket-keeper), Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Vicky Ostwal, Ravi Kumar England: George Thomas, Jacob Bethell, Tom Prest (captain), James Rew, William Luxton, George Bell, Rehan Ahmed, Alex Horton (wicket-keeper), Thomas Aspinwall, James Sales, Joshua Boyden
Venue, date, and TV listing
India and England will lock horns on Saturday in the U-19 WC final. The match will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua and is slated to begin at 06:30 PM. Star Sports Network has the broadcasting rights for this game. The live-streaming of the U-19 WC final will be available on Disney+ Hotstar (paid subscription).
