![Match Preview – Aust U19 vs India U19, ICC Under-19 World Cup 2021/22, 2nd Semi-Final Match Preview – Aust U19 vs India U19, ICC Under-19 World Cup 2021/22, 2nd Semi-Final](https://abc123sport.com/wp-content/uploads/https://img1.hscicdn.com/image/upload/f_auto/lsci/db/PICTURES/CMS/333800/333816.6.jpg)
Australia’s in-form top order and fast bowlers should test an unbeaten India, who knocked Australia out in 2018 and 2020
Big Picture
This is the third time in as many editions that India and Australia will be facing each other in an Under-19 World Cup knockout match. In 2018, Prithvi Shaw and co won the final. Two years later, Kartik Tyagi and the other quicks eliminated their opposition in the quarter-final. This time, though, it is the fixture in between: the semi-final.
Form guide
(Last five completed matches; most recent first)
India WWWWW
Australia WWLWW
In the spotlight
Harnoor Singh was earmarked for greatness at the competition. With 131 runs in the Asia Cup earlier in the year and 191 in a tri-series also involving Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, he was among India’s leading run-scorers in the build up to this World Cup but has not lived up to reputation, with only a half-century and scores of 0, 1 and 15 in the other three games. India’s four successive wins to go with Covid-19 affecting player availability have kept Harnoor’s spot in the XI safe all along, but the semi-final might be the perfect place for him to repay the faith.
Team news
There are no injury concerns for either side, although India allrounder Nishant Sindhu remains in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19.
India (possible): 1 Harnoor Singh, 2 Angrish Raghuvanshi, 3 Shaik Rasheed, 4 Yash Dhull (capt), 5 Siddarth Yadav, 6 Raj Bawa, 7 Kaushal Tambe, 8 Dinesh Bana (wk), 9 Rajvardhan Hangargekar, 10 Vicky Ostwal, 11 Ravi Kumar
Australia (possible): 1 Teague Wyllie, 2 Campbell Kellaway, 3 Corey Miller, 4 Cooper Connolly (capt), 5 Lachlan Shaw, 6 Aidan Cahill, 7 William Salzmann, 8 Tobias Snell (wk), 9 Tom Whitney, Jack Sinfield, Jack Nisbet
Pitch and conditions
Spinners should relish the surface, but seam bowlers, too, are expected to find assistance through uneven bounce or lateral movement. In the quarter-final on Saturday, India lost five wickets while chasing 112 against Bangladesh at the same ground.
Stats and trivia
Sreshth Shah is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @sreshthx