The Indian U-19 team suffered a comprehensive 79-run defeat at the hands of Australia in the Youth World Cup final in Benoni on Sunday (February 11).
The Boys in Blue were dominant throughout the tournament, winning all six matches before the final. However, Australia outplayed them in the summit clash to clinch their fourth ICC U-19 World Cup title.
In the all-important final, Australia posted 253/7 in their allotted 50 overs after opting to bat first. Harjas Singh was the top scorer with 55 while Hugh Weibgen (48), Oliver Peake (46) and Harry Dixon (42) made notable contributions with the bat.
Pacer Raj Limbani starred with the ball for India, claiming three wickets by conceding 38 runs in his 10 overs.
In reply, India’s innings folded for 174 in just 43.5 overs. It was a listless batting performance as most of the wickets fell for a single-digit score. Adarsh Singh top scored with 47.
Mahli Beardman (3-15) and Raf MacMilllan (3-43) picked up three wickets each for Australia while Callum Vidler returned with a couple of scalps.
India may have failed to lift the title but the tournament gave several quality players like Uday Saharan, Musheer Khan and Sachin Dhas, who could be the future of Indian cricket.
Despite the loss in the final, the Indian U-19 team was lauded by the members of the Indian cricket fraternity, including Shikhar Dhawan and Ishant Sharma.
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