IND vs JAP U19 Asia Cup Match Preview: Key Players And Stats, Live Streaming, Pitch Report, Probable XIs

India will face Japan in their second match in U19 Asia Cup 2024 [Source: BCCI/X.com]

The U19 Asia Cup 2024 is already getting heated up with action packed matches. However, India and Japan have both struggled, suffering defeats in their opening games. Things are not looking good for these two teams and they are set to face each other on December 2nd at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, with the match starting at 10:30 AM IST.

IND vs JAP U-19 Asia Cup: Match Details And Live Streaming

IND vs JAP U-19 Asia Cup Match: India Will Try To Dominate

After their disappointing defeat to Pakistan's U19 squad, where India lost by 43 runs, the young team will be looking to bounce back against a much weaker Japan team.

Although India's young players struggled against Pakistan, Nikhil Kumar stood out with his score of 67 runs off 77 balls. Among the bowlers, Samarth Nagaraj was the standout performer with figures of 3 wickets for 45 runs in 10 overs. Ayush Mhatre also showed promise, taking 2 wickets for 30 runs at an economical rate of 4.29 in 7 overs.

With India's semifinal qualification jeopardised, the team will aim to secure victory by a massive margin against Japan.

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IND vs JAP U-19 Asia Cup Match: Japan Will Look For A Comeback

Japan's performance against the UAE was disappointing, to say the least. They faced a humiliating defeat by a staggering margin of 273 runs. In the Japan squad, only Nihar Parmar managed to score above 20, while the rest of the team struggled, with most players finishing with single-digit scores.

On the bowling side, Kiefer Yamamoto Lake stood out by taking 4 crucial wickets at an impressive economy rate of 4.67. However, his efforts were insufficient to contain the UAE, who posted a total of 325 runs.

Nevertheless, the team led by Koji Hardgrave Abe will aim to overcome India in their next match to recover from their significant drop in net run rate, as both teams are currently competing for a spot in the semifinals.

IND vs JAP U-19 Asia Cup Match: Sharjah Cricket Stadium Pitch Report

The pitch in Sharjah typically has a dry surface that favours spin bowlers. Fast bowlers receive minimal assistance, although the breeze can help seamers generate movement early in the game. Spinners gain a significant advantage, especially during the middle overs, but batting tends to become more challenging as the match progresses. As a result, the team that wins the toss is likely to bat first in Sharjah.

IND vs JAP U-19 Asia Cup Match: Key Players And Stats

• Kiefer Yamamoto Lake: 4 T20Is, 3 wickets; 3.0 ER
• Samarth Nagaraj: 3 Wickets in First ODI; 4.50 ER
• Nikhil Kumar: 67 runs in first ODI; 87.01 SR
• Andre Siddarth: 5 First Class matches having 372 runs; Average 93; 60.29 SR

IND vs JAP U-19 Asia Cup Match: Probable Playing XIs

India: Ayush Mhatre, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Andre Siddharth, Mohammad Amaan (c), Nikhil Kumar, Kiran Chormale, Harvansh Singh Pangalia, Hardik Raj, Samarth Nagaraj, Mohammed Enaan, Yudhajit Guha.

Japan: Aditya Phadke, Nihar Parmar, Koji Hardgrave-Abe (c), Kazuma Kato-Stafford, Charles Hinze, Hugo Kelly, Timothy Moore, Kiefer Yamamoto Lake, Daniel Panckhurst, Aarav Tiwari, Kai Wall.

IND vs JAP U-19 Asia Cup Match: Winner Prediction

As for the winner prediction, India has played only one match against Japan in the U19 World Cup of 2020 and emerged victorious. In Sharjah, India played a single match till date and won that while Japan lost its first match. Overall, India’s win percentage in their last few matches is significantly higher than Japan's. Therefore, in their upcoming encounter, India is most likely to win against Japan.

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