Under-19 World Cup semi-final, India vs Australia: Match preview
What's the story
India will square off against Australia on Wednesday in the second semi-final of the 2022 ICC Under-19 World Cup. India have been in terrific form in the tournament so far as they are yet to be beaten. They finished the group stage as table toppers with three victories in as many games. They qualified for the semis by hammering Bangladesh in the second quarter-final.
Context
Why does it matter?
The second semi-final of the 2022 U-19 WC is the perfect match-up of two cricket powerhouses in the world. Much like India, Australia have also been flawless in their performance so far in the tournament. However, they were beaten once in the group stage by Sri Lanka U-19. Australia qualified for the semis after defeating Pakistan by 119 runs in the quarter-finals.
Stats
India vs Australia head to head
India are unbeaten against Australia in their last five games in U-19 WC. They have won four encounters while one match was abandoned without a ball bowled in 2013. Wednesday's encounter is the third time India will face Australia during the knockout stage of the marquee event. India won the previous two fixtures. They defeated Australia in the 2018 final to win the title.
Journey
India's road to the semi-final
India started the tournament with a comprehensive 45-run win over South Africa. Next, they bested Ireland before hammering Uganda by 326 runs in their last group game. They defeated Bangladesh by 5 wickets in the quarter-finals. While India were flawless on the field, they battled COVID-19 off the field. India missed the services of their several stars across the tournament due to the outbreak.
Route
Australia's road to semis
Australia started their campaign on a positive note, defeating West Indies by six wickets. In their next game, their campaign took a hit as they were outclassed by Sri Lanka (SL won by 4 wickets). They routed Scotland by seven wickets to get their campaign on track and qualify for the knockout round of the Super League. Australia defeated Pakistan in quarters.
Information
Interesting stats related to the game
India are unbeaten in the semi-final of the U-19 WC since 2016. They have reached the final of the last three WC editions (2016, 2018, and 2020). If Australia win the 2022 title, they will emulate India's record of most number of titles (4).
Players
Players to watch out for
Angkrish Raghuvanshi is India's standout performer with the bat. He has scored 272 runs in four games at 68. Raj Bawa is the second-highest run-getter with 217 runs under his name. For Australia, Teague Wyllie has scored 264 runs at 132. India's Awais Ali has picked 14 wickets in the tournament, including a fifer. Australia's Tom Whitney has picked seven wickets in three games.
Details
Venue, date, and live-streaming
India and Australia will lock horns on Wednesday in the second semi-final. The match will be played at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua, and is slated to begin at 06:30 PM. The winner of this fixture will next take on England in the final on Saturday. Star Sports Network has the broadcasting rights for this game, while live-streaming will be available on Disney+ Hotstar.