Shubman Gill v Jack Edwards and the other key battles that will determine the ICC U-19 World Cup final between India and Australia

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Shubman Gill and Martin Edwards will be key for their respective sides.

    All eyes of the cricketing world will be on Mount Maunganui on Saturday as Australia and India clash in the finals of the 2018 ICC U-19 World Cup.

    The future superstars of tomorrow will be on display as the two most successful sides in U-19 World Cup history battle it out in their quests for a fourth crown.

    With talent flowing in abundance in both sides, there will be no shortage of interesting individual duels which will play a big part in deciding the outcome of the crunch clash.

    We look at the four key battles ahead of the finals.

    PRITHVI SHAW v JASON SANGHA

    India U-19 skipper Prithvi Shaw and his Australian counterpart Jason Sangha are both batting lynchpins for their respective teams apart from their captaincy duties.

    Shaw’s rise in Indian cricket has been rapid following his record 546-run innings as a 14-year-old old in the Harris Shield. He has since made his first-class debut for Mumbai and has already registered five tons in his maiden season. With scores of 94, 57, 40 and 41, Shaw has been in great form in the World Cup so far.

    Born with Indian roots, Sangha has had an equally impressive start to his cricketing career. The 18-year-old has already registered his maiden first-class ton in an Ashes 2017-18 warm-up game for Cricket Australia against an England attack comprising of Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Craig Overton.

    After a slow start to his World Cup campaign, Sangha has been growing in confidence with two half-centuries in his last three outings.

    The battle of the two skippers.

    The battle of the two skippers.

    LLOYD POPE v ANUKUL ROY

    In the battle of spinners, India’s Anukul Roy will be pitted against Australia’s Lloyd Pope.

    With 12 scalps in five games, Roy is the third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, one ahead of Pope who has 11 in four games.

    Eight of Pope’s wickets came against England in the quarter-final clash as the ginger-haired leg-spinner demolished the batting with figures of 8-35, the best in the history of the tournament.

    Armed with a lethal googly and straighter one, how India’s batsmen handle Pope will go a long way in deciding their fate. Roy on the other hand, has been super consistent and with an average of 7.9 and an economy rate of 3.6, he will be crucial to India’s chances on Saturday.

    SHUBMAN GILL v JACK EDWARDS

    Shubman Gill has been the indisputable star with the bat for India in the tournament having registered a fifty in every innings he has played. He went one step further in the semi-final win over Pakistan with a classy unbeaten 102 as he notched up his maiden ton.

    Like Shaw, the top-order batsman already has a first-class century under his belt even at this young age and will be the danger man for the Aussie bowlers.

    Edwards on the other hand, touted as Australia’s best player of spin, has had a mixed tournament so far. He started off with a bang with a fine 73 against India but then tapered off before a 72-run knock against Afghanistan in the semi-final.

    With no shortage of spinners in India’s bowling attack, Edwards will hold the key for Australia’s batting.

    Both Shubman and Edwards will be looking to go big on Saturday.

    Both Shubman and Edwards will be looking to go big on Saturday.

    Recommended