U-19 World Cup: 'Bowlers Ostwal, Hangargekar deserve Ranji call-up' says Coach

Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Vicky Ostwal and Mohan Jadhav

Pune-based left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal and pacer Rajvardhan Hangargekar played key roles throughout the campaign that saw skipper Yash Dhull's Team India win the ICC U-19 World Cup in Antigua on Saturday.

The Pune duo's coach Mohan Jadhav is a proud man as Ostwal emerged India's top wicket-taker with 12 scalps while Hangargekar took five in the West Indies. Ostwal and Hangargekar had also played vital roles in Team India's U-19 Asia Cup triumph in UAE last December, claiming six and five wickets respectively.

Though both bowlers finished wicketless in the final, Jadhav praised their sustained effort throughout the tournament. "Both have been bowling well and have made vital contributions in India's success. I'm very happy to see them performing at such a big stage. Vicky bowled with a lot of variation and got rewarded for it. Raj bowled well too, putting the batsmen on the defensive as they tried to negotiate his pace. This built pressure on them and when they tried to take their chances against the other bowlers, they perished," Jadhav told mid-day from Pune on Sunday.

"Raj and Vicky must now focus on beating batsmen who have a defensive approach. For this, we will work on how to read a batsman's mind," added Jadhav as he now looks to help his wards raise their game to prepare for the challenges of first-class cricket. "Both deserve to be considered for the Ranji Trophy. They can learn so much by just sharing the dressing room with first-class cricketers. Red-ball cricket will teach them a lot. I feel they are ready for the IPL too. To be able to rub shoulders with international stars will be a great experience for them," Jadhav signed off.