“Sir, this is not ice and fire, this is fire and fire,” Sanju Samson had joked about his opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma after India’s T20 World Cup glory. That spirit seems to have rubbed off on the junior Indian team as well.
India A are set to face Sri Lanka A in the tri-series final, scheduled to be played on Sunday, June 21 in Dambulla. From staring at an early exit from the tournament to becoming the first team to qualify for the final, it has been quite a week for the Indian side.
In their first match of the tournament, India A managed a narrow escape against the hosts, Sri Lanka A. In the second game, they were battered by Afghanistan A in a rain-curtailed contest. Then, in their third game against Sri Lanka A, Tilak’s team lost an ill-tempered Super Over clash to the hosts.
Tilak Varma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi were involved in separate spats, putting a blot on the team’s tour.
Just when their chances of qualification looked really, really slim, India A produced a terrific performance in their final round-robin game against Afghanistan A. The margin of victory was so emphatic that from the brink of elimination, India A became the first team to qualify for the final, leaving Afghanistan and Sri Lanka battling for the remaining spot.
If that is not fire and fire, I do not know what is.
TILAK VARMA THE CAPTAIN
If there is one cricketer who has learnt the most from this series, it is Tilak Varma. After a narrow win against Sri Lanka, a whipping at the hands of Afghanistan, and then an ill-tempered loss to Sri Lanka, Tilak has had to grow quickly in a short span of time.
“As a captain, the biggest learning for me has been understanding each player – how they react under pressure, what their mindset is and how to get the best out of them. I spend a lot of time with players off the field because that helps me understand them better,” Tilak Varma told Sportstar.
“I’ve seen Rohit bhai do that with Mumbai Indians and with the Indian team. I know how important those relationships become when you’re out in the middle. I’ve tried to implement some of those things here, and it’s worked well so far,” he added.
Varma will be pivotal to India’s chances in the final – both as captain and as a batter. With the willow, he has provided stability in the middle overs, a phase that has proved tricky for all teams in the competition.
WILL WE GET A VAIBHAV SOORYAVANSHI SHOW?
Prodigiously talented Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is yet to set the tri-series on fire.
Whenever he has come out to bat, he has looked in good touch. But despite getting starts, he is yet to convert them into a substantial score.
The Sri Lankans seem to have found a way to trap him with off-spin, and that is a ploy that everyone will probably keep a really close eye on. If Vaibhav does have this deficiency, then other teams will surely look to exploit it in the near future.
The India A captain said that a string of moderate scores is not a concern and that the team does not feel Vaibhav needs to play his cricket any differently. The youngster has the captain’s backing and is unlikely to change his style.
SRI LANKA A BRING NAILS TO THE FIGHT
One thing that perhaps needs to be said about Sri Lanka A is that this side has several senior players in its ranks.
Openers Avishka Fernando and Niroshan Dickwella are seasoned professionals in international cricket, and so is Sadeera Samarawickrama.
The kind of confrontation that broke out in the teams’ previous game should have been addressed then and there by the senior members on the field.
One wonders if that is how Sri Lanka will approach Sunday’s final again. If they do, things could get ugly very quickly.
And that will be the true test of India A, especially their captain Tilak Varma – on whether he can mix his fire with ice and keep a hold of his team and of the game.
DO INDIA A HAVE ANY WEAKNESS?
India A’s bowling was a cause for concern till the last game.
Sri Lanka A’s top order has dominated the Indian pace attack in both matches. But the team made a strong comeback with the ball in their final round-robin game against Afghanistan, which is essentially the growth Tilak spoke about before the final.
India’s spinners are expected to do well, but fast bowling remains a concern.
INDIA A vs SRI LANKA A LIVESTREAMING
The India A vs Sri Lanka A match will start at 10 am IST. The toss will take place at 9:30 am.
INDIA A vs SRI LANKA A PITCH REPORT
The pitch throughout the tournament has been conducive to spin and is expected to assist the slower bowlers once again in the final.
What could make the real difference, however, is the wind, which may bring swing into play.
Heavy winds are expected during match hours. Rain is unlikely.
INDIA A vs SRI LANKA A PREDICTED PLAYING XIS
India A Predicted Playing XIs: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma (c), Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Nishant Sindhu, Anukul Roy, Arshad Khan, Vipraj Nigam, Yash Thakur
Sri Lanka Predicted Playing XIs: Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Avishka Fernando, Vishen Halambage, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Sahan Arachchige (c), Wanuja Sahan, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Kugathas Mathulan, Chamika Gunasekara, Mohamed Shiraz
– Ends
