Had to bat steadily after 37/2: Yash Dhull

Coolidge (Antigua), Feb 3

India Under-19 captain Yash Dhull, Man of the Match in the semifinal win, later said he and Shaik Rasheed had decided to not take risks until the 40th over, after they came together at 37/2 in the 13th over.

Dhull struck a sublime century and stitched a game-changing 204-run partnership with his deputy Rasheed. “The plan from me and Rasheed was to bat till the end, and it worked. The idea was to bat steadily, not to try too many shots, and to bat past the 40th over,” Dhull said. The two were eventually dismissed off successive balls in the 46th over. “Myself and Rasheed bat well together, we combine well and it showed. Rasheed and me had a good partnership and we had good partnerships lower down as well,” Dhull added.

The captain had lavish praise for the team, especially Rasheed. “The way in which the boys are playing is good. Rasheed is mentally very strong. We were in the bubble together and he is always mentally prepared,” said Dhull, who and Rasheed among several players who contracted Covid-19 in the early part of the tournament.

Dhull became the third Indian captain to score a U-19 World Cup ton after Virat Kohli and Unmukt Chand, and he described it as “a proud moment”. —