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Chance for youngsters to prove a point

By G. Viswanath

Rajkot Nov. 17. Promising youngsters in the India under-19 team will get an opportunity to display their skills against a superior Sri Lanka `A' team in a three-day match scheduled to start at the Race Course Ground here from Tuesday.

They will have Irfan Pathan's selection to the senior Indian team for the Australian tour as inspiration. He was earlier part of the India Colts team. The recently concluded Asian Cricket Council (ACC) under-19 tourney in Pakistan where the Indian juniors defeated Sri Lanka in the final shows that this team possesses enough talent.

The junior selectors have made a few changes from the team that played in Pakistan. Delhi's Abhishek Sharma has been recalled. The fresh faces are Madhya Pradesh batsman Sachin Dholpure, Amal Kokje and Tahir Abbas. Dholpure has scored 264 runs including a century in four Ranji Trophy matches. Amal Kokje, the offspinner, has not played a first class match, but last year he took over 100 wickets in under-15 and under-19 matches.

Coach Robin Singh said he was looking for a solid opener, a good medium pacer and a quality spinner for the under-19 World Cup to be held in Bangladesh in February-March next year. "There will be a camp and practice matches before the World Cup. But we need to find a few good players and put them in shape for the World Cup.''

The India-19 medium pace attack will be handled by R.P. Singh, who shared the new ball with Munaf Patel against New Zealand here in early October. He went wicketless, but according to reports had impressed India's captain Sourav Ganguly during the camp in Bangalore. V.R.V. Singh and Raiphi Gomez are the other two seamers in the squad.

For the three-day match between India `A' and New Zealand, the Saurashtra Cricket Association prepared a pitch for the seamers to exploit. The SCA said it would be the same for this match too.

The teams (from): India under-19: Ambati Rayudu (captain), Dinesh Karthick, Shivkant Shukla, Sachin Dholpure, Robin Uthappa, Suresh Raina, Tahir Abbas, Rakesh Solanki, Amal Kokje, Abhishek Sharma, V.R.V. Singh, R.P. Singh, Avinash Yadav, Raiphi Gomez.

Sri Lanka `A': Naveed Nawaz (captain), Ian Daniel, Nuwan Shiroman, Jehan Mubarak, Lanka De Silva, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Chamakira Mudalige, Thilina Kandamby, Prasanna Jayawardane, Omesh Wijesiriwardene, Tharanga Paranavithane, Anushka Pollonowita, Rangana Herath, Tharanga Lakshitha, Lasith Malinga. Umpires: Messrs: V.K. Ramaswamy & I. Sivaram.

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