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Jr Tigers take on India to lift elusive U19 Asia Cup title
DHAKA, Sept 13, 2019 (BSS)- Bangladesh Under-19 team will take on mighty
India in the final of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Under-19 Asia Cup at R
Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday to secure the title that eluded them
quite several times.
It will be a tougher job by any means as Bangladesh have been in perpetual
losing streak against India.
Bangladesh lost to India in last edition of the tournament’s semifinal and
more recently in England in the Tri-nation tournament final.
They have failed to beat them in any knockout games of the big tournament
in youth cups.
Bangladesh captain Akbar Ali said that they are eyeing to break the losing
streak against India as they prepare well to take on the Asian giants in the
final of the youth Asia Cup.
“We are mentally in a right frame of mind ahead of the clash. We are
hopeful of playing well. We played well in the group stage and we will play
the final with relaxed mind,” Akbar Ali said.
Bangladesh won three matches in a row in the group stage to make it to the
semifinal against Afghanistan which was washed out without a ball being
balled. By virtue of being the group champions of their Group B, Bangladesh
moved to the final.
India’s semifinal game against Sri Lanka was also washed out due to rain
and according to the rules of the tournament, they also moved to the final by
being the champions of Group A.
Akbar Ali said the team just needs to regroup well on the particular day to
beat India.
He is also confident of his pace bowler and back his batsmen to score big
runs. The weather in Colombo does not look good as some rainfall is
predicated which may hamper the match.
India have an impressive record in Under 19 Asia Cups with multiple titles
to their credit and they will be looking for a seventh title, said ACC
website.
Ever since the Under-19 Asia Cup was launched in 1989, India has reached
all but one final and so good their record is that they have never lost a
final. (The final in 2012 was a tie with India and Pakistan being declared
joint-champions).
Sourav Ganguly, Marvan Atapattu, Dinesh Karthik, Angelo Mathews and Babar
Azam are some of the stars who have excelled in previous Under-19 Asia Cup
finals and it remains to be seen which young star emerges out of the 2019
final.
Bangladesh will rely heavily on opener Mahmudul Joy, who is expected to
play the anchor role batting through the innings. Not that, he is unable to
cash in when quick runs are needed. In the final group game against Sri
Lanka, he played leg-spin of Kavindu Nadeeshan watchfully before stepping up
the gas in the bowler’s last over. He smashed two sixes and three fours in
what was the 47th over of Bangladesh’s innings and that onslaught shook up
the Sri Lankans.
Skipper Akbar Ali is the more attractive batsman though. Not too sure
whether he bats at the right position as number six looks too low for him
India themselves have some excellent fast bowling talents and a mouthwatering
contest awaits in the Sri Lankan capital, the ACC said.
BSS/SMP/SSS/1737 hrs