India takes on Australia in ICC Under-19 World Cup semifinal today – skipper Dhull says VVS Laxman tips extremely helpful

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<strong>A talented India team will be up against a tough Australian side in the second semifinal of the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua Wednesday evening.</strong></p>
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The Indian lads had beaten Australia in a warm-up clash last month but skipper Yash Dhull says it won't have any substantial impact on their final four clash.<br />
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Dhull’s team thrashed the Aussies by nine wickets in Guyana prior to the competition proper getting underway, with the skipper himself scoring an unbeaten half-century.<br />
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That day the Indian spinners were in particularly fine form but Dhull believes the differences, in both conditions and the wicket, make Wednesday’s game an incomparable scenario.<br />
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“The wicket in the warm-up match against Australia Under-19s was different to the one we will have in the semi-final tomorrow (in Antigua)," he said on Tuesday. </p>
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💬 💬 India U19 captain Yash Dhull highlights how motivating it is to have the legendary <a href="https://twitter.com/VVSLaxman281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VVSLaxman281</a> with the squad at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/U19CWC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#U19CWC</a> 2022. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoysInBlue?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoysInBlue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAUS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAUS</a> <a href="https://t.co/REkcKwOGiE">pic.twitter.com/REkcKwOGiE</a></p>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1488551399105638406?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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“The game will be played depending on the pitch conditions. So, we will only know tomorrow how we will bowl and how we can put Australia under pressure.”</p>
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“We will look to play with a positive mindset. We will look to set the target as per the condition of the wicket and the situation of the match.<br />
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“Everyone is fit and fine and available for selection.”<br />
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Dhull was part of the group in the India team hit by a covid earlier in the tournament, but recovered to produce an excellent display in the quarter-final win over Bangladesh.<br />
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He was also full of praise for the team’s coach VVS Laxman, who scored over 8,000 runs in test match cricket for the men in blue.<br />
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Dhull added: “VVS Laxman has been sharing his experience with us and been talking about the mindset we need to have. His role has been important for us.”<br />
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Australia is meanwhile backing new batting prodigy Teague Wyllie to help fire the team into the final.<br />
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Aussie captain Cooper Connolly believes his team has the ability to get there, particularly if his Western Australia teammate Wyllie can maintain his red-hot form as the three-week tournament reaches its conclusion.<br />
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Wiley has already scored 264 runs in four matches and going into the semi-finals is the fourth-highest run scorer at the World Cup.<br />
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“I said at the start of the tournament,” said Connolly. “That he (Teague Wyllie) was going to be a big run scorer for us.<br />
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“I backed him as a Western Australia man, I’ve seen him progress all the way from playing as a junior. He is a really talented guy.<br />
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“There is no reason why he can’t continue to do that and I think he can play a big role for us in these last couple of matches.”<br />
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The 18-year-old all-rounder also confirmed that facing their toughest opponent of the finals so far wouldn’t stop his team from playing positively.<br />
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His team chased down a big total in their group win over Scotland before putting 276 runs on the board in the Super League quarter-final win over Pakistan.<br />
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Connolly added: “There is no change from us in approach. We are just going to try and play some good cricket and hopefully we can knock off India.<br />
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“They are a very good side and we know that, but I think if we play our best cricket we can beat them.<br />
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“To reach the final would be pretty cool. I spoke to Mitch Marsh briefly about it, because he won the last one for Australia (in 2010)<br />
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“I’d love to be able to get to that spot and do the same as him.”</p>
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