CHENNAI: The India U-19 team is set to step into unfamiliar territory.
With youth Tests being a rarity, India will play their first multi-day match in over five years when they cross swords with Australia U-19 in the first of two games that begins on Monday here. The India U-19 side had last featured in a red-ball fixture way back in February 2019.
At the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Soham Patwardhan & Co, all new kids on the block, should tackle an element of uncertainty and handle the vagaries of long-format cricket besides adapting to the pitch and weather.
Both India and Australia will have their work cut out, having had only three days to acclimatise to the challenging conditions in Chennai - in the one-day series that preceded the Tests and ended on Thursday in Puducherry, the hosts produced a 3-0 whitewash.
India U-19 head coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar acknowledged that the home team has a tough task in front of it. "It is a great initiative to play Tests. Red-ball cricket really tests you. For every player, it is the ideal challenge to see where they stand," Kanitkar said on Sunday.
"There is enough time for the bowlers to plan and devise their strategies. Playing against a foreign side is a great thing. Playing foreign teams at the U-19 level has helped a lot of players, including myself," said Kanitkar, a former India batter.
While India will head into the assignment as the favourites, considering the home advantage and recent results over their rivals, Kanitkar stressed that they will start afresh.
"The boys are confident, we had a good one-day series. But having said that, this is a different format altogether. The place is different. It is better to take the good things and leave the highs as we prepare for the Tests. That is what we have done," said Kanitkar.
As for the Oliver Peake-led Australia, they will be keen to open their account after having a frustrating start to the tour. The visitors will take heart from the fight they displayed in the high-scoring third one-dayer, where they came close to snatching victory.
Dravid's son Samit unavailable
Rahul Dravid's son Samit Dravid, who sat out the one-day series, continues to remain on the sidelines as he is still recovering from a knee injury.
"As of now, Samit is at the NCA (National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru). We do not know if he will be a part of this series. It looks unlikely," said Kanitkar.
