India colts gear up for blockbuster semifinal

Heavyweights India and Australia will face off in a blockbuster Super League semifinal of the ICC Under- 19 World Cup here on Wednesday, having beaten their opponents on the field and Covid-19 off it, on their way to the last-four stage. India’s preparations for the age-group showpiece were impacted heavily by the virus, with hardly any national camps or tournaments in the last two years except the recent Asia Cup. The four-time champions started the tournament on the right note, overcoming a good South Africa side by 45 runs, but soon ran into a situation where they were struggling to field a playing XI after multiple players were found to have contracted Covid-19 hours before their match against Ireland.

Now up against a formidable Australian side, India will take confidence from the fact that they made the semifinals with wins on the trot despite the challenges posed the virus. This is the fourth time in a row that India will be appearing in the last-four stage of the competition.

As far as Australia are concerned, the two-time champions will be on a high after their convincing win over Pakistan in the quarters. Australia have a superstar in the making in opener Teague Wyllie. The 17-year-old has been one of the stars of the World Cup so far, showcasing his impressive array of shots and an attacking yet controlled temperament. And the Western Australian youngster has no shortage of selfconfidence either, making him an all-round package with every chance of making it in the international game. (Agencies)

India (likely XI): Yash Dhull (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Harnoor Singh, Raj Bawa, Kaushal Tambe, Dinesh Bana, Nishant Sindhu, Vicky Ostwal, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Vasu Vats and Ravi Kumar.

Australia (likely XI): Cooper Connolly (c), Campbell Kellaway, Teague Wyllie, Aidan Cahill, Corey Miller, Jack Sinfi eld, Tobias Snell, William Salzmann, Jack Nisbet, Lachlan Shaw and Tom Whitney.