[NPV]

U-19 world cup final - India U-19 team has done half the job well getting the Aussies out for 216, now they need to bat well to win this.

Having won all matches leading up to the finals, I just hope they pull this off and the law of averages/Murphy's law doesn't hold good today.

[Sawyer]

The boys have done India proud. Dominated every team they played against, and did it to Australia twice with the win in the final.

[NPV]

India U-19 have won the world cup
There are some really promising players who have the potential to become stars in the near future.

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by NPV

India U-19 have won the world cup.

Kudos to our young players for a well deserved win. Having played with conviction throughout the tournament, it would have been an extremely disappointing end had they not won the final. However, the fourth title is unlikely to achieve what the previous three failed to - the goal of supplying a consistent pool of players to the national team. Hope Rahul Dravid will be able to bring about a difference this time.

Speaking of which, this WhatsApp forward bestows on Dravid something that didn't come to him a lot during his heydays - sincere appreciation.



Photo Credit: Unknown

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

However, the fourth title is unlikely to achieve what the previous three failed to - the goal of supplying a consistent pool of players to the national team. Hope Rahul Dravid will be able to bring about a difference this time.

That is a curious statement; what would need to be done for the fourth win and/or Dravid to do that the first three did not? And if I remember, Dravid was coach in 2016 as well when we still were the finalists.
Look at all countries and it appears that the mens team is sourced from the U 19 team and elsewhere in the country as well. So this isn't just an India thing either, that there are parallel tracks to the senior team, while some of the tracks in the boys team are dead ends.

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

...while some of the tracks in the boys team are dead ends.

If these dead ends could somehow be enlivened, explored and mentored, the purpose of playing junior cricket tournaments would be fulfilled. As elsewhere, there are latecomers and late bloomers in cricket too and hence it would indeed be unfair to expect the entire junior team to automatically get promoted to the senior level. That said, Dravid could, in his role as the coach and more importantly as a mentor, guide the youngsters to further success. I only hope that the recent exploits of the Shubman Gills and Manjot Kalras of the world cup winning team don't turn out to be a flash in the pan OR be limited to the occasional blitzkriegs in the IPL.

[Sawyer]

I suspect that Dravid's role as defined by BCCI is over for these boys. It is now up to them to gain entry into the first class senior scene, along with those that come by a parallel route. After all, India is a rare country where even players of 19-21 can force their way into the senior side, unlike England for example where the problem is that these are forced to serve more apprentice time regardless of talent.

Is there a need for an intermediate handholding of these players before they graduate to the senior leagues? Perhaps, but Dravid's charter I believe is to get the next U 19 team ready. And this handholding should not have us end up in the English boat.

[Sawyer]

On the same subject, the plan to have the Dravid + Kumble combination was an excellent one from BCCI. It is not possible to resurrect the latter part now, but that does not mean that Indian cricket should remain saddled with the dubious talents of Shastri. Surely there are many other candidates out there, even Indian ones, that will provide both coaching/selection support as well as a sanity check on Kohli as and when needed.

On the BCCI subject, one must doff the hat to them for the present state of the game, however distasteful their many shenanigans. And the CoA isn't covering itself in glory either. Two are in the news for the wrong reasons, one has moved on to another job, while the fourth resigned in a couple of months at the impotence displayed by the CoA leadership - perhaps that impotence was a finding that is in sync with some of the current disclosures about it.

Nor does one want to allow the Sports ministry within spitting distance of cricket. Let them save their actions for every other sport in India that can't be damaged much further by anyone.

So how does one enforce a better governance by BCCI? How is this achieved in England and Australia might hold some clues. Not all though; the ECB has been spectacularly inept in the Stokes affair, so all isn't hunky dory there either.

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

I suspect that Dravid's role as defined by BCCI is over for these boys. It is now up to them to gain entry into the first class senior scene, along with those that come by a parallel route.

Yes it is. Dravid is like the college principal who along with his staff has coached the students of his college very well. So well that they have topped the University. The students getting an IPL contract are those who got a good offer in the campus recruitment stages. It's now upto them and the others to prove themselves in their profession. The principal who is a retired chief of a big company has done what was expected out of him and he'll now have to work on the next batch of students.

[libranof1987]

This one statement from Dravid in the post-match conference speaks volumes about his selfless maturity, dedication and a sincere, genuine expectation as a guide who wants nothing more than his wards to succeed even further.

hopefully it's not a memory that defines them and they will have a lot more bigger and better memories as they go on ahead in their careers,"

It is true when he says it gets embarrassing when he gets more attention than the players because of his stature but aren't we so damn lucky to have him offer his services to the U19 team.

I really hope he doesn't coach the senior team; who in the recent past with the likes of Jadeja, Dhawan and Kohli hasn't exuded maturity.

[hemanth.anand]

It can't get more stupid than this. South Africa bowled iut for 118 in less than 32.3 overs. India 117 in 19 overs and need 2 runs more. Umpires call for lunch as it's time. Reinforces the saying "Common sense is so uncommon".
Rules should be followed alright, but this is plain non-sense.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

Rules should be followed alright, but this is plain non-sense.

Perfect example of following rules by the letter rather than by the spirit. Commentators also did not hold back when saying this.

[Arjun Reddy]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

It can't get more stupid than this. South Africa bowled iut for 118 in less than 32.3 overs. India 117 in 19 overs and need 2 runs more. Umpires call for lunch as it's time. Reinforces the saying "Common sense is so uncommon".

Rules should be followed alright, but this is plain non-sense.

So, what would have happened if it rained and the match could not be played after lunch?

DL is applicable only after 20/25 overs aside have been completed?

So technically the game can be abandoned.

[Sawyer]

Good point about the weather, and it would be the right thing to do to enforce the rule strictly if rain had been threatening even slightly. But with a clear blue sky, common sense should have prevailed. That is why the umpires are there and not fully replaced by computers and hawk eye.

Of course those fans who stayed back - or turned their TVs on again after lunch to watch just the live broadcast probably need to get a life.

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

I really hope he doesn't coach the senior team; who in the recent past with the likes of Jadeja, Dhawan and Kohli hasn't exuded maturity.

The Jesuits have a saying - give me a boy up to the time he is 7 years old and I will give you the man - meaning in the way he will think and behave as an adult. Scientists say that adult behaviour is largely determined by brain development accomplished by the age of ten.

On those lines, coaching the senior team is pointless if bad behavioural habits have been established as junior cricketers; perhaps something that Dravid has wisely recognised.

And there are examples of junior cricketers who do behave quite well on the field - names that come to mind are Kaif, Yuvraj, Uthappa, Karthik and many more. So there are other factors at play here in shaping behaviour that senior team coaching is way too late to influence.