Australia had failed to beat India in the last 10 meetings at the U-19 level. They failed to beat India in the last two U-19 World Cup finals. Throw this information in the trash. Because at the moment Australia looks to be ahead of India in the marquee final. Australia's senior team popped champagne twice last year at India's expense, at the World Test Championship in June and at the World Cup in November.
Australia's new players are enthusiastic after winning the 2024 U-19 World Cup with a comfortable 79-run win over five-time champions India at Willowmoor Park in Benoni, South Africa on Sunday. It was my turn to celebrate. With this result, Australia won the U-19 World Cup for the fourth time after India.Victory was engineered by solid players
His batting record reached 253/7, the highest total in the history of an U-19 World Cup final. The highest scorer was Harjas Singh who was number 4 and scored 55 off 64 balls. Harjas, a Sikh who was born in Sydney in 2005, five years after his parents emigrated from Chandigarh, has been outstanding given his 39 runs in six matches up to Sunday. It was unexpected. As Australia's batsmen burst into action, India had to respond with a hot start.
They failed to do so and lost Arshin Kulkarni for three runs in the third over. Things could have gone south quickly when a pass from Charlie Anderson to Harry Dixon was deflected at first slip by Mushir Khan, who was still wide. The chance was lost. It seemed like today might be the day Mushir took several fun drives to the border. But soon he too was walking back after a mustachioed Marli Beardman's long-range shot hit the stumps inside.
In the semi-final match against South Africa, India's hopes once again rested on captain Uday Saharan and Sachin Das as they increased their score from 32/4 to the target of 245. However, this proved to be a bridge too far and Sahara and Das fell within the space of 14 deliveries. Saharan, like Australia's Hugh Wavegen, was guilty of playing an upward square drive with Beardman's second scalp to the backward point.
Daas fell behind on Australian spinner Ruff McMillan's first delivery and played on an empty turn. The employee also added the scalps of Alaveri Avanish and Raj Limbani to the cache. While opener Adarsh Singh hung on for a while and scored 47 (77 balls), Abhishek Murugan entertained with a 46-ball 42 at number eight. However, at that stage the result was a foregone conclusion.
Beardman was named Player of the Match with a record of 7-2-15-3. Unlike previous matches, India's bowlers were not that impressive on Sunday. After an early dismissal when Raj Limbani's big inswinger threw Sam Constas between the bat and pads, Weibgen and Dixon allowed a 78-run stand to consolidate.
Dixon, a left-handed dasher who signed a Big Bash League (BBL) contract last September and hopes to emulate David Warner, raced to 15 off seven deliveries. Once Vibgen started hogging most of the strikes, he stalled. Saharan introduced Saumy Pandey and Mushea within the first 10 overs, ostensibly because Vaibgen had been dismissed by left-arm spinners three times in this tournament, but the Australian captain was much more confident in his footwork this time. there were. The collaboration between Australia's two in-form batsmen steadily deepened and they posted a score of 87/1 in 20 overs.
It was when the Indian captain went back to left-arm pacer Naman Tiwari, who had earlier scored just 15 runs. When Dixon returned to attack with a boundary, it looked like it was going to leak further, but the pacer soon turned things around. He bowled from near the wicket and missed Weibgen first. In the next over, Murugan, who was positioned at cover, moved quickly to the left to complete a fine catch and he out-fought Dixon with a knuckleball.
If India breathed a sigh of relief with top scorers Wepgen and Dixon back in the shed, it is entirely understandable given the lean return of Australia's mid-order players up until the final. But Harjas had something to say. With the support of the Australian team management, the left-handed batsman appeared to have given his best for the final. Once he overcame his early fears, his abilities were clearly recognized by Neil Docosta, the famous coach who coached the likes of Michael Clarke, Phil Hughes and Marnus Labuschagne.
Harjas liked the Indian spinners and took the ball comfortably outside the boundary three times with sweet timing. His first six came when Moriya took a free swing at long-on during a part-time off-break. Fellow off-spinner Murugan was also punished as Harjas smashed a six at midwicket and wide long-on. It was Pandey who eventually trapped Harjas at his feet, but not before he was able to shake off the Australian momentum.