West Indies U-19 cruised to victory against India in the last over of the Under-19 World Cup Final. Even though the match went into the last over of the West Indian innings, the margin of victory will tell you that the outcome was never in doubt during the last 10 overs. Post mortems are always easier in hindsight but let us attempt to analyse the reasons for India’s defeat.
1) No leader at the top
The form of India’s skipper and opener Ishan Kishan. Except for the match against Nepal, where he scored a quick 52, Kishan has been out in single digits against all opposition in this tournament. This is deflating for a team when they face a setback that early. Moreover, with him being the captain it lowers the spirits in the dressing room when they see their leader fail repeatedly. His getting out in the first over in the final took the wind out of India’s sails.
2) Attack isn’t the only option
In Under-19 cricket the players don’t have the weight of experience behind them and tend to press the panic button when put under pressure. Even though there was some stubborn resistance from the lower order, the game was as good as lost when India were tottering at 50/5. It is not fair to expect the lower order to dig the team out of a hole when the top order fold up for next to nothing
3) Not lasting the distance
Even from a tight situation, India made the cardinal sin of not batting their entire 50 overs. They were bowled out with nearly five overs remaining and those five overs could have potentially meant another 20 runs. This could have made a difference to the outcome of the match.
4) Conceding cruise control
When a team is defending such a small total, they have to strike quickly and take at least 3 wickets with the new ball. This can lead to panic in the opposition ranks and give the bowling team a chance. India bowled valiantly in the first 15 overs, but picked up only 2 wickets. When the target is so small, all the opposition has to do is concentrate on batting their quota of overs and then they have the match firmly in their grasp.
5) Grounding catches
When the West Indies were reduced to 71/5, India had a chance, but they dropped some crucial chances in the field. Catches win matches and fielding like tigers becomes even more important when you are defending a meagre total as it lifts the spirits of the entire team and buoys the bowlers. From the 35th over till the end of the match, India dropped 3 chances in field and that was their undoing. If Sarfaraz Khan had held on to KMA Paul’s edge in the 35th over, the story could have been different as West Indies would have still needed 50 runs to win with only the bowlers to follow.
All in all, it was a good display by India in the tournament, even though they did not play to their potential in the final.
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