12.9 C
New York
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
PopCash.net

I decided to shut the Aussies out: Smit

AHMEDABAD: While Unmukt Chand is rightly being hailed as the hero for India’s magnificent triumph Down Under in the Under-19 World Cup, it would be unfair if stumper Smit Patel isn’t given his due.

Smit Patel

At 97 for 4, things looked tight for India and bright for the Aussies but Patel (62; 84 balls, 8×4) proved to be the perfect foil for skipper Chand as they added 130 for the fifth wicket to take the team home.”Unmukt is one of the finest young batsmen India have at the moment. He played a captain’s knock to see the team through. But Smit’s innings was equally brilliant. Because when Smit went into bat the match was evenly poised. He played a mature innings,” said U-19 selector and team manager Pritam Gandhe from Australia.”Even in that crucial match against Pakistan he had played a small but important innings. He generally bats down the order, but since he was in good form we decided to send him in early and he proved us right. He is a gutsy player and wasn’t overawed, added Gandhe. Patel has performed creditably in this tournament.He scored 178 runs from six innings at an average of 59.33. He was not out on three occasions with two 50s. Apart from batting, Patel was also brilliant behind the stumps, with 13 catches and one stumping.Barely able to think or speak after some delirious celebrations, Patel told TOI, “I am just happy that I have been able to keep the faith of the team and all those people who believed in me.I knew that I have to just play my natural game without doing anything stupid. The wicket was not very difficult, the total was not big and Unmukt was playing well, so I just stood there and decided to shut the Aussies out.”

Related Articles

Latest Articles