India U-19 team hopeful of doing well in four-nation series

Captain of the Under-19 Indian team for quadrangular series Unmukt Chand said the side led by him was strong and will perform well in the tournament.

Visakhapatnam: Captain of the Under-19 Indian team for quadrangular series Unmukt Chand on Monday said the side led by him was strong and will perform well in the tournament beginning from Tuesday.

"The Indian team is very good and has undergone two- week vigorous training at Bangalore. We will excel in the series as the team is quite balanced," he said, addressing a press conference. "It is great and exciting opportunity for me to be captain of the team," the Delhi player said. India, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Australia will clash for supremacy in the one-day Under-19 series. Indian U-19 coach Bharat Arun said the four-nation series will give a good exposure to players and help them to prepare for the World Cup next year. The team has a good combination of bowlers and batsmen, Arun said, adding BCCI is doing a good job in conducting junior cricket tournaments in the country. Sri Lanka`s coach Mohamed Naveed also expressed the confidence that his team would perform well. The team is strong in all departments - bowling, batting and fielding. The boys have undergone vigorous training for the last four months and five players of the team had participated in international matches earlier, he said. Manager of the West Indies team Courtney Walsh said the tournament will give much exposure to the players ahead of the U-19 World Cup. "Our main focus will be on the World Cup," the former fast bowler added. Captain of the Australian team Cameron Bancroft said the players were fully fit and raring to go. Team Manager Brain McFadyen and Head Coach David Fitzgerald said the team composition was very good. "Our strength is bowling, but the team also had good batsmen," they said. India will play against Australia at Golden Jubilee Port Stadium, while West Indies will clash with Sri Lanka at ACA-VDCA Stadium at Pothinamalliahpalem on Tuesday. The series will conclude on October 9. PTI