Defending champions India are overwhelming favourites to win a record fifth U-19 World Cup title here today but a tough fight is expected from first-timers Bangladesh in an all-Asian final.
If the India squad for the 2018 edition had the likes of Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill, who have expectedly gone on to play for the senior team, the exploits of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, spinner Ravi Bishnoi and pacer Kartik Tyagi in the current edition have made them overnight stars.
Irrespective of what happens in today’s final, India have reinforced the fact that they are undisputed leaders at the under-19 level and the cricketing structure the BCCI has developed is working better than any other board in the world.
India, who walloped arch-rivals Pakistan by 10 wickets in the semifinal on Tuesday, will be playing their seventh final since 2000 when they lifted the trophy for the first time.
Heading to the mega event, India colts played about 30-odd games in different part of the world. To get used to the South African conditions, they played a quadrangular series before they played their World Cup opener against Sri Lanka.
In the final, India run into Bangladesh, a team which too has reaped the benefits of meticulous planning since their quarterfinal loss at the 2018 edition.
Though the Priyam Garg-led Indian side got the better of them in the tri-series in England and Asia Cup last year, Bangladesh have always come up with a fight and fielding coach Sharma expects it would be no different today.
“They are a very good side. There is a lot of mutual respect. I can tell you that,” he said.
Considering it is their maiden final, it is a bigger game for Bangladesh. If they win, it will be a sweet revenge against the sub-continental giants, who have found a way to tame Bangladesh at the senior level in close finals.