Junior World Cup: Binny feels India has a chance

By Our Sports Reporter

CHENNAI, JAN. 6. The India under-19 team left on Thursday for Sri Lanka to participate in the junior World Cup to be played between January 11 and 28. The opening ceremony is slated for January 10.

The Md. Kaif-led squad, clustered along with New Zealand, Bangladesh and Holland in Group `B' in the 16-team event, is scheduled to play three practice matches between January 7 and 9. India opens its campaign against Bangladesh at the De Soysa Park in Moratuwa on January 12.

The team coach, Roger Binny, said the team was a balanced side. ``We have a number of all-rounders and the middle- order batting is strong. The boys are an experienced lot with most of them being first class cricketers. All-rounder R.S. Sodhi and Md. Kaif have also played Duleep Trophy. Both played in the last World Cup in South Africa, which England won.''

Binny said the two-day conditioning camp here (the squad was announced on January 3) was more about getting into motion. ``The boys have played non-stop cricket over the last month in a series of junior tournaments following the Ranji season. They are match fit. It's now about tuning their mind.''

Binny believes India has a fair chance. ``The conditions in the sub-continent are the same. It's now a question of application. I think we stand a good chance.''

The Nepal team, which was in Chennai to play a couple of practice matches against local sides en route to Sri Lanka, left along with the Indian squad.

Indian team: Md. Kaif (captain), R.S. Sodhi (vice-captain), Yuveraj Singh, Y. Venugopala Rao, Niraj Patel, Shalabh Srivastava, Mritunjay Tripathi, Ajay Ratra (w-k), Arjun Yadav, Ravneet Ricky, Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan, Mihir Diwakar, Anup Dave and Manish Sharma. Coach: Roger Binny. Manager: Mr. G. Nandakumar.

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