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Henil Patel Credits Dale Steyn for U19 World Cup Match-Winning Spell vs USA

India U19 pacer Henil Patel delivered a match-winning spell of 5 for 16 against the USA, setting up a comfortable six-wicket victory. Patel credited former South African great Dale Steyn as his inspiration, specifically emulating his aggressive bowling mindset. His figures rank as the third-best by an Indian bowler in the history of the Men's Under-19 World Cup. India bowled out the USA for 107 and will next face Bangladesh in Group A.

Key Points: U19 WC: Henil Patel's 5/16 Inspired by Dale Steyn's Aggression

  • Patel took 5/16 vs USA
  • Credits Dale Steyn's aggression
  • Third-best U19 WC figures for India
  • India won by six wickets
2 min read

U19 World Cup: Henil Patel credits Steyn's aggression for his match-winning spell vs USA

India U19 pacer Henil Patel took 5/16 vs USA, crediting Dale Steyn's aggressive bowling style as his inspiration. Read his key quote and match details.

"and match details.QUOTE: What I get from Dale Steyn is that I like his aggression a lot - Henil Patel"

New Delhi, Jan 16

India U19 pacer Henil Patel credited former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn as his inspiration behind his match-winning performance against the USA at the ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup.

Patel delivered a match-winning spell of 5 for 16 against the USA on Thursday as India cruised to a six-wicket win and began their U19 World Cup campaign in style. Patel said that growing up, Steyn was his favourite bowler, and he attempts to copy Steyn's bowling style.

"What I get from Dale Steyn is that I like his aggression a lot," Patel told ICC Digital. "His bowling was so good that there was no batter who could play against him easily because he was so tough to face."

It was the third-best bowling performance by an Indian in any Men's Under-19 World Cup. Only Kamal Passi's 6 for 23 against Zimbabwe in 2012 and Anukul Roy's 5 for 14 against Papua New Guinea in 2018 are better.

Three of Patel's five wickets came during a strong new-ball spell at Queens Sports Club. This left the USA struggling at 34 for 4. The soft-spoken 18-year-old later said that his success early on came from pitching the ball up, aiming for the stumps, and always looking for wickets.

"I have a mindset to get the batter out within three to four deliveries," Patel declared. "I go into training with a proper mindset, I get my body ready and it's the same in a match. It's all about taking early wickets, I go with the same mindset and I stay calm."

Five-time winners India inserted in the USA after winning the toss, and Henil Patel instantly validated that decision by delivering a fiery opening spell that broke the resistance of the USA top order. The right-arm pacer picked up three wickets inside the first 12 overs as the USA were reduced to 35/4.

The Indians then tightened the screws on the USA middle-order to pick up wickets at regular intervals as Deepesh Devendran, Ambarish RS, Khilan Patel, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi all picked up a wicket each. Patel then returned to clean up the tail and bag the first fifer of the tournament to bowl USA out for just 107 inside 36 overs.

India will be back in action against Bangladesh for their second game in Group A on Saturday.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As a cricket fan living abroad, it's heartening to see the sport growing in the USA, even if they got a tough lesson here. Henil Patel's performance was clinical. Good to see the focus on process and mindset at such a young age.
R
Rohit P
Steyn was a beast in his prime, so Henil has chosen the right inspiration. But let's not get carried away by one performance against an associate nation. The real test will be against teams like Bangladesh, Australia, and England. Hope he keeps this form.
A
Ananya R
So proud of our boys! Jitna bhi ho, watching our youngsters dominate on the world stage gives me goosebumps. All the best for the match against Bangladesh. Bring the cup home! 💙
K
Karthik V
The article mentions his calm demeanor. That's the key. Aggression with control, not just raw pace. Bumrah and Shami have shown that. If Henil can learn that balance from Steyn's career, he has a great future ahead.
M
Michael C
Respectful criticism: While the win is comprehensive, the batting chase of 107 had a few wobbles losing 4 wickets. The top order needs to be more ruthless. Can't afford such lapses against stronger teams. The bowling was top-class though.

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