Day 6 Talking Points – India's strength in depth seals last-eight spot; Teague Wyllie is the real deal

INDIA BEAT IRELAND BY 174 RUNS

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Contrasting styles lift India to big total

India’s openers got the match off to a controlled start, building a huge partnership to set their team up for a potentially mammoth total. Angkrish Raghuvanshi (79) and Harnoor Singh (88) played exceptionally at the top of the order, putting on 164 together before the fall of the first wicket in the 26th over.

The rest of the top five all scored runs too, but India will perhaps reflect that the total could have been even higher had there not been a slightly stagnant period during the second half of the innings.

As it was, the 300-mark was reached and in style, with Rajvardhan Hangargekar providing that much-needed acceleration with a blistering 39* off just 17 balls, a knock that featured five sixes.

Jamie Forbes can hold his head high

Ireland may have been outclassed on the day in Tarouba, but spinner Jamie Forbes held his own against a high-calibre of opponents in Trinidad.

The 17-year-old stemmed the tide of runs and finished with extremely tidy figures of 1/38 from his ten overs. To exert that level of control against an Indian batting line-up in full flow showed that this is a bowler with real potential.

Ireland will need another such controlled performance from Forbes in the final group game against South Africa, a fixture that will decide who joins India in the Super League phase and who drops down with Uganda into the Plate.

Strength-in-depth in India’s squad

It was to India’s great credit that they managed so competently with six members of their squad unavailable for selection due to a Covid scare in the camp.

Sidharth Yadav, Yash Dhull, Aaradhya Yadav, SK Rasheed, Manav Parakh and Vasu Vats were all placed into isolation ahead of this fixture against Ireland, and the wider implications of the possible outbreak are as yet unclear.

But the new-look India side showed no sign of disruption, with the top five all looking fluent with the bat and all seven bowlers on show returning tidy figures.

AUSTRALIA BEAT SCOTLAND BY SEVEN WICKETS

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Batting dominance

A chase of 237 to win was not a foregone conclusion for Australia, but they made the task look easy with a dominant performance with the bat.

The top three all scored big, with the openers putting on a century stand before Campbell Kellaway fell just three runs short of his half-century.

Number three Aiden Cahill kept the momentum going and then some, upping the rate significantly with his blistering 72 of 45 balls, hitting seven fours and four maximums in a sparkling knock.

But it was opener and star of the day Teague Wyllie who was the standout performer with the bat for Australia, finishing unbeaten and reaching his century just before the target was caught. His 101* from 115 balls follows on from his outstanding 86* against West Indies in the opening game. Wyllie can really bat.

The multi-talented Teague Wyllie

It wasn’t just his century that made Teague Wyllie the star player in Basseterre. The 17-year-old is a complete athlete and set the standard in the field as Australia kept Scotland under pressure throughout the first innings.

Wyllie was excellent in the field throughout, but his catch to dismiss Rafay Khan in the final over of the innings was particularly eye-catching, with him taking the spiralling catch one-handed and on the run as the ball dropped over his shoulder.

Scotland’s top six turn up

The Plate League awaits Scotland after losses to Sri Lanka, Australia and West Indies in the tricky Group D, but there was still plenty to be encouraged by for the Scots in Basseterre.

All of the Scottish top six scored runs in a strong display with the bat, with Charlie Tear and Tomas Mackintosh both registering half-centuries.

To have all of the frontline batters in the runs will bring encouragement ahead of the knockout Plate competition.