ICC U19 World Cup: Indian team relax by visiting Nelson Mandela Square ahead of the final
For the third time in a row, the Indian team has managed to reach the final of the U19 World Cup. After two high-pressure games against Australia and Pakistan, fielding coach Abhay Sharma believed that the boys needed to freshen up and decided to utilise their two-day break by visiting the Nelson Mandela Square in Johannesburg.
"Most of them are in South Africa for the first time. We thought the boys needed some time away from the game and visiting the Nelson Mandela Square was an enlightening experience for them," Sharma told PTI from Potchefstroom.
After the two-day break, the Indian U19 team was back to training in Potchefstroom and Sharma was back in the field to give his throwdowns and drills. While the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Priyam Garg, and Kartik Tyagi grabbed the limelight, wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel caught the eye of former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop. Sharma also spoke about how Bishop had heaps of praises for Jurel.
"I was having a chat with Ian and he said to me that "Jurel is ready for international cricket" and he has emerged as the best wicket-keeper of the tournament," said Sharma.
India-Pakistan encounters are always full of nervous energies not only among fans but among the cricketers as well. Sharma explained how he was able to calm the young boys down before the high-voltage semifinal clash against Pakistan.
"India-Pakistan is always a big game and there are bound to be nerves. Emotions run high in such a game and there is where the role of the support staff comes in. I sensed the nervousness, so had a two-minute calm-down session minutes before the start of the game," Sharma revealed.
That session seemed to have helped India significantly as they were able to bowl out Pakistan for just 172 and chase down the target with all 10 wickets intact.