6 Indian players from the U-19 tri-series to watch out for

Rahul Dravid’s coaching seems to be paying off as India U-19 are undefeated in the tournament so farAs the world watches in awe at history being created in Australia where the first day/night Test match is being held, or in India, where South Africa have finally been beaten away from home after 9 long years, the India U-19 team is creating waves in the Tri-Nation U-19 Tournament in the country.In a series comprising of the India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan U-19 teams, the young Indian colts, coached by the legendary Rahul Dravid, have qualified for the finals of the tournament, in which they will face-off against Bangladesh U-19 on Sunday.The U-19 team is the first step for any talented youngster aiming to cement their spots in the national side. History has seen several greats who have come into the side by virtue of their performances for their U-19 side.With the world keeping track of players’ progress even in their latent stages, it is important for the players to make sure they put nothing but their best efforts while playing any match.As the U-19 World Cup comes up next year, the players will take every series that comes their way as a golden opportunity to prove their worth before the final team for the World Cup is released.As the Indian team gear up to face Bangladesh in the finals, let’s take a look at 6 players who have shone in the tournament, and have made heads turn:

#6 Virat Singh

Virat Singh has been India’s U-19 dark knight

Gone almost unnoticed amidst the match-turning performances by his team members is Indian U-19 middle order batsman Virat Singh. He has played two good anchor roles in the middle but can definitely do more.

He didn’t have the greatest start to the tournament, getting dismissed for a golden duck in the very first match. Despite India winning the match, Virat was rested for the second game to give someone else a chance. He was given another chance in the third match, and he knew he had to make it count.

After a blazing start by Pant and Kishan, India U-19 needed someone sensible to keep going and make sure they didn’t lose too many wickets. Virat was the right man for it as he bid his time, waiting for the bad deliveries.

He didn’t let the Bangladesh bowlers get the upper hand as he made sure India matched the required run-rate. In the process, he also proved that he could go for the big shots as he hit 2 fours and a six. Despite being dismissed for 21, his knock was crucial towards India winning the match.

His best knock came in the last group match when he scored a terrific 71 against Afghanistan. After Kishan got out for a duck, he joined Rishabh Pant to take India to safety.

While Pant played the aggressive foil, Virat decided to play slowly and make the most of the pitch. As Pant blasted the bowlers apart, Virat played with a level head, splitting the gaps with surgical precision.

His 186-run partnership with Pant defined the course of the game, as India went on to make 266-7, which eventually proved to be too much for Afghanistan U-19.

#5 Zeeshan Ansari

Starting the match with a good show with the bat, Zeeshan Ansari came good with the ball as well

In the modern game where leg spin is a dying art, it is a treat to watch young leggie Zeeshan Ansari giving the ball a mighty rip. He was in the news in the very first game, albeit for his batting prowess. When India U-19 was at 76-7, he joined hands with Avesh Khan and ensured that India doubled their score.

He played the most deliveries in the match as he scored 34 runs off 63 balls with 5 boundaries. His knock made the difference at the end as Bangladesh U19 were bowled out for 76, and he joined the rout by returning with figures of 2-1-1-2.

He was good in his second match against Afghanistan U-19, picking up 1-31 off 7 overs. His miserly bowling and good use of flight troubled the batsmen to no end, and he was unlucky to not pick more wickets.

But his talent was finally on display in the final match of the group stage, where he ran through the Afghanistan U-19 batting order, leaving them completely bamboozled.

After India put up a challenging 266-7, Afghanistan had started to build a good partnership after early wickets. At 94-3, they were slowly changing the course of the match, until Ansari was brought in.

He removed Sayed Waheedullah by drawing him out and turning it past him, leaving ‘keeper Ishan Kishan to complete a stumping. Ansari exploited the slow track at the Jadavpur University ground as he found good purchase from it.

He tore apart the lower middle order with his variations like a classic leg-spinner who destroys the opposition’s tail. His wrong-un’s regularly beguiled the batsmen as they failed to pick it, becoming easy LBW victims.

From 94-3, Afghanistan slumped to 135-7, thanks to Ansari’s brilliant display. Though the tail put up a small fight towards the end, Ansari came back to snaffle the last wicket and end Afghanistan’s misery.

Ansari will be closely watched as he continues to bowl in the nets and in international matches. With Kuldeep Yadav shining in the last U-19 World Cup, Ansari’s leg spin will also prove vital for India U-19 to go all the way next year.

But his immediate challenge will be the final on Sunday, where he will hope that he can spin a web around the opposition once more.

#4 Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar has been calm and confident throughout

If Rishabh Pant impressed us with his hard hitting, Washington Sundar showed that a level head during the middle was just as important. He started the tournament well, scoring a fighting 34 as wickets tumbled around him.

As the Bangladeshi seam bowlers made the ball zip around, he remained solid at one end, nudging the singles around and batting with single-minded determination. He faced 61 deliveries on a challenging pitch, second only to Zeeshan Ansari’s 63 ball knock.

He had a poor game in the second match, getting dismissed for just 2 and did not bowl in the second innings. But he immediately proved his worth in the third match, as he came into bat in a difficult situation and took India to victory.

Chasing 222, India had started well after Pant’s aggressive innings, but the loss of quick wickets had put them at a precarious 116-4. Another wicket would have exposed the lower-middle order, and India would have been in trouble.

But Sundar - who had earlier picked up 2-25 - batted with intelligence as he made use of the low required run-rate of 3.00, and did the needful as he picked up three runs per over entirely in singles. He also put away the loose deliveries though, as he hit 6 boundaries in his knock.

The loss Amandeep Khare barely slowed him down as he brought India U-19 to the brink of victory and scored a half-century in the process.

With India more or less qualifying for the finals, Sundar was rested for the last group game. But he will most certainly be back for the finals as India will look to pip Bangladesh for the trophy. Sundar looks to be a very level-headed batsman who can bat under pressure, and India will need him to perform in the U-19 World Cup next year.

#3 Avesh Khan

Avesh Khan is India’s latest pace sensation

Avesh Khan was the name on everyone’s lips, as the pace bowler took apart the Bangladeshi batting line-up in the very first game. Murmurs of his talent had reached the ears of fans during the last World Cup, where he almost touched 140 kph while playing against Pakistan.

From then, his talent had been honed by the team management, and he was let loose among the hapless batsman in the tri-series tournament.

After India was in a spot of trouble at 76-7, he joined hands with Zeeshan Ansari to take India to a fighting 158. They knew that it would not trouble the batsmen unless they took early wickets, and prompted by words of encouragement from Rahul Dravid, Avesh led the bowling attack.

He began spectacularly, removing opener Saif Hassan off the very first ball of the innings. His form and pace only grew, as he bowled stump to stump, ensuring that the batsmen got no width or length to work the bowling.

In his second over, he removed Pinak Ghosh and then took the wicket of Nazmul Hossain in his third over. Finally, in his fifth over, he removed captain and dangerman Mehedi Hazan to leave Bangladesh U-19 wobbling at 23-4.

Inspired by Avesh’s terrific bowling figures of 6-3-4-4, his comrades chipped in with wickets of their own, and Bangladesh U-19 collapsed for just 76 runs. At his interview, Avesh claimed that having Rahul Dravid as a coach helped the entire team, and it was a boost for them.

Avesh only played one other match in the tournament, where he bowled well, picking up 1-39 in 10 overs. Clearly being rested to perform in the final, Avesh is already being protected by the team management.

Fast bowlers are very susceptible to injuries these days, and the Indian team will hope that Avesh continues his good pace to become a much-needed, genuine pace bowler for India.

#2 Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant has scored two fifties and a century in the three matches he has played

Out of all the players that India U-19 have fielded in the tournament, it is 18-year old Rishabh Pant who stands out head and shoulders above the rest. An aggressive left-hander, Pant was included into the side after India was dismissed for just 158 in the first match against Bangladesh.

Hopes that he would give the team some much-needed solidarity in the middle were immediately put to rest as he batted even as wickets fell around him in the coming matches, turning the Indian U-19 team into a mighty colossus.

In Pant’s first match, India U-19 lost their other opener when the score was just on 5. Joining hands with batsman Amandeep Khare, Pant played a brilliant counter-attacking innings on a good pitch.

He made sure that the Afghanistan U-19 bowlers did not get the upper hand as he made use of some poor bowling to accumulate the runs. He made a brilliant 87 off just 88 balls, including 10 fours and 2 sixes. After his dismissal, India lost 6 wickets for just 87 runs, which meant that his innings was decisive in them obtaining a victory.

Pant’s second match was the epitome of aggressiveness as he slammed 51 runs off just 26 balls, ensuring that India got a blazing start in chase of a modest 222 against Bangladesh. Pant and promoted wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan added 67 in 5.4 overs until the latter’s dismissal. Pant was more aggressive of the two, hitting 9 fours and 2 big sixes en route to his second successive half-century.

After two half-centuries, Pant finally made it count in his third game. Once again, after India lost a wicket early, Pant and Virat Singh batted slowly to give India good foundation at the top.

Pant played in usual aggressive style, slashing at slamming everything in his arc. Seeing that his partner was batting well, Virat simply rotated the strike and made sure Pant faced most of the deliveries.

Pant scored a century out of their 186-run partnership, which finally ended when he got out for 118 runs off 98 deliveries. He had hit 14 fours and 4 sixes, and it ensured that India put up a total of 266, which was ultimately too much for the Afghanistan U-19 team.

With the U-19 World Cup coming up, all eyes will be on Pant to give India the much-needed momentum during the early stages. With Rahul Dravid proving to be an astute leader, Pant will hope to emulate him by displaying some heroics in the coming months, which may well ensure him a place in the Indian cricket team, as many before him have found out.

#1 Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz produced a brilliant swashbuckling performance in the finals

Sarfaraz Khan showed that one innings could help you attain fame as he came good in the final of the U-19 Tri-Nation Series against Bangladesh U-19 after 3 failures in the tournament. Sarfaraz, who earlier impressed in the last U-19 World Cup and more recently in the IPL earlier this year, was hyped to be a big performer in the series.

But he disappointed in the first game after scoring just 2 runs off 11 balls. He was given a rest in the second match to get his game together in hopes of making a successful comeback. But he failed to meet expectations, as he could only manage scores of 0 and 12 in the next two matches.

As almost all of his teammates had played at least one good innings, Sarfaraz was under pressure to perform on the big day of the final. But Coach Rahul Dravid persisted with him, and Sarfaraz proved why.

After all the Indian U-19 bowlers chipped in to bowl Bangladesh U-19 for 116, India U-19 was given a blazing start by Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar. But then, they lost three wickets in 12 balls and were wobbling at 42-3.

Fans wondered if a repeat of the first game - where India U-19 slumped to 76-7 - was on the cards again, but Sarfaraz had other ideas. Instead of biding his time, Sarfaraz played his natural game, taking the attack to the bowlers. He slammed 56 runs off just 27 balls, his knock studded with 9 fours and 3 sixes. It also included two overs where he scored 15 and 20 runs.

Using all his international and IPL experience, Sarfaraz single-handedly took apart the Bangladesh U-19 bowling attack, chasing the target of 116 in a mere 13.3 overs. India U-19 lifted the trophy and remained undefeated in the tournament, and in the end, it was Sarfaraz who made sure they achieved both.

He came into the limelight when, at an age of 12, he struck a then-record score of 439 in the Harris Shield inter-school tournament. This is the same tournament where most of India heard the name Sachin Tendulkar for the first time when the little master had scored 326 in a match in 1988.