Following in the footsteps of his illustrious seniors Mohammad Kaif and Virat Kohli, Delhi’s Unmukt Chand has led India to the Under-19 Cricket World Cup title for the third time. What set Chand apart was that the captain took it upon himself to deliver and take India to victory.
The Indian bowlers, led by Sandeep Sharma, did their job well and restricted Australia to a decent total of 225. Going by how the Indian batsmen had performed, it looked a tough task, and as expected India looked a little shaky during the chase. But it was the partnership between Chand and Smit Patel that brought India home. Smit deserves a special mention for playing second fiddle in the chase, but it was the captain who led from the front.
Chand, the biggest name in the team, had not played to his potential throughout the tournament and perhaps saved his best for last. He anchored the Indian innings from the start and made a match-winning 111.
It was the Delhi cricketer’s third consecutive century in a final, and it must have felt like déjà vu for Australia, who a few months earlier had lost to India in the quadrangular series final because of a similar knock by Chand.
Ready for the senior level
His century shows that he has the class to graduate to the senior level. The Under-19 level is the last step before a player moves into the senior side, and Chand has already been promoted to India ‘A’. His innings proves that he has the quality and class to fit into India’s high-profile batting line-up.
Many pundits compare him with his Delhi senior Virat Kohli, and his performance against Australia in the final shows that the comparison is valid. Chand, who was in average form going into the match, rose to the occasion and played perhaps the most important knock of his career so far. He delivered under pressure, and his innings carried an authority quite similar to Kohli’s.
Chand started rather slowly while wickets were falling in a flurry. He hung on, avoided risky shots, went with the flow and accelerated at the right time to counter the asking rate, which at one point went close to 6.5 runs an over.
The best part of his innings was that he played responsibly and not like a brash youngster. He knew he was the best batsman in the side as well as the captain, and he acted accordingly.
When Smit came in to bat and missed his first ball, Chand walked up to him, encouraged him and calmed his nerves. That did wonders for Smit, who went on to play a big role in the Indian triumph.
Following the seniors
Leading an Under-19 side at the World Cup means that the player is a consistent performer on the domestic circuit, and the tournament acts as a testing ground. Players such as Kaif, Yuvraj Singh and Kohli were helped a lot by their Under-19 World Cup performances, and the question is whether Chand can follow in the footsteps of his illustrious seniors.
Unlike other young batsmen on the circuit, he looks to play proper cricketing strokes and relies more on technique and class than on power. He has made an impression, and if he continues to bat as he is batting now, he is almost certain to catch the selectors’ eye.
He has the temperament and the class, and the fact that he plays in the IPL makes his prospects very bright. But he will have to wait a little longer and keep up the good work at junior level so that he does not drop out of contention, because he has it in him to go the distance.
By Samikshan Dutta Choudhury
Indian Sports News
