Battle between pace and spin

Very few would have expected the West Indies to make it to the final of the ongoing ICC Under-19 World Cup. Here's a side that was convincingly beaten by the hosts prior to the start of the competition and who edged past Zimbabwe in the group stage to make it through to the second round.

However, once they entered the knock-out stages, that was when they began to display their best. Their pacers gave both the Pakistan and Bangladesh batsmen nightmares and when they take on India at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, they will most definitely attempt to do the same.

However, it is a task that is going to be twice as hard because this Indian team has been a class apart throughout the competition. Not once did they seem in trouble at any point in the tournament and it is not a surprise that they breezed through to the final.

When the two young teams take on each other today, it is going to be battle between pace and spin. The Mirpur wicket has favoured the pacers, as witnessed in the last few games, and that will be what the boys from the Caribbean are hoping to bank on. India will be seeking their fourth U-19 title, whereas the West Indies will be seeking their first.

"We are set for tomorrow," said India captain Ishan Kishan at the pre-match press conference in Mirpur yesterday. "There is obviously tension before every match and this is the World Cup final. We have reached our goal, now we need to achieve that goal," he added.

Kishan said the team's strategy against the West Indies pace attack was for him and his opening partner Rishabh Pant to see off the first 10-12 overs and set the stage for the later batsmen.

Shimron Hetmyer said the West Indies were not over-awed by India's unbeaten run in the tournament.

"In the semifinals we played Bangladesh, who had also not lost a match, and we won that game. So I don't think it matters what happened in the past. India is obviously a good team and we are excited about playing the final," he said.