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India suffered a heartbreaking 79-run defeat against Australia in the Under-19 World Cup final at Willowmoore Park on February 11, Sunday. With this Australia recorded their fourth U-19 World Cup title. Australia posted a record total of 253/7 riding on Harjas Singh's 55 off 64. In reply, Indian batters never looked settled in the chase and kept looking wickets in the regular intervals and eventually were bowled out for 174. Adarsh Singh remained the top scorer for India with 47 off 77. Murugan Abhishek too scored a gritty 42 but couldn't save his side from losing to Australia. In less than a three month period, India lost their second World Cup. Last year in November, the senior Indian team lost to Australia in the ODI World Cup final.
Notably, this was the highest-ever total in an U19 World Cup final. The previous highest total i.e 242/3 was posted by England in 1998 Under-19 World Cup final against New Zealand. The Aussies have previously emerged victorious in the 1988, 2002 and 2010 editions of the tournament.
Indian batting wilt under pressure
India had three batsmen amassing over 300 runs, with captain Uday Saharan leading the U19 World Cup 2024 batting charts. However, all three, including Uday, Musheer Khan, and Sachin Dhas, suffered early dismissals in the final. Notably, Uday, concluding the tournament with 397 runs from 7 matches, was ousted for a mere 8, marking his first single-digit score in the tournament.
Conversely, Musheer Khan, who benefitted from a dropped catch and a close run-out chance, was unable to capitalize on the opportunities, falling for 22 to Mahli Beardman's fuller-length delivery that shifted momentum in Australia's favor. Sachin Dhas, known for his crucial innings, including a match-winning 96 in the semi-finals against South Africa, was caught behind for 9 off spinner Raf MacMillan's first delivery.
Both Beardman and MacMillan consistently took wickets, preventing India from gaining momentum in their chase. Callum Vidler, the new-ball bowler, made an early breakthrough by dismissing the highly-rated Arshin Kulkarni, leaving the young Indian side unsettled throughout the chase.
Opener Adarsh Singh battled on, struggling to keep the scoreboard ticking as partners fell at regular intervals. His resilient 47 off 77 balls ended in the 31st over when Mahli Beardman claimed his third wicket.
Left-handed all-rounder Abhishek Murugan exhibited some resistance, forming a 46-run partnership for the 9th wicket with Naman Tiwari. Despite Murugan's gutsy shots, including some pressure-building strokes, he, like Musheer, couldn't capitalize on the opportunities, eventually being caught at point shortly after a dropped chance.
Despite Murugan's spirited effort, India's margin of defeat was reduced as the determined Australian side maintained pressure throughout the final match.
India perish before Australia's record total
Earlier, Indian pacers Raj Limbani and Naman Tiwari made crucial breakthroughs, yet Australia posted a competitive total of 253 for seven in the Under-19 World Cup title clash.
Opting to bat first under pressure, Australia's batsmen, aside from Harjas Singh, who scored 55 (64 balls, 3x4, 3x6), failed to capitalize on promising starts on a relatively placid pitch.
Limbani (3/38), bowling with pace and precision, struck early by dismissing opener Sam Konstas with a delightful in-swinging delivery, thwarting Australia's hopes for a quick start, a recurring theme in this tournament.
Australia found stability through Harry Dixon (42 runs off 56 balls) and skipper Hugh Weibgen (48 runs off 66 balls). Dixon initially attacked aggressively, hitting left-arm pacer Tiwari (2/63) for boundaries, but later settled into a more composed partnership with Weibgen.
The hallmark of their second-wicket stand, worth 78 runs in 18.1 overs, was their adept handling of the Indian spinners, who had been a formidable force throughout the tournament. Despite a lack of big hits, Dixon and Weibgen maintained momentum with singles and twos, avoiding unnecessary risks.
Just as the partnership was blossoming, Indian captain Uday Saharan turned to Tiwari, who responded brilliantly by dismissing the well-set Weibgen caught at point by Musheer Khan. Tiwari also accounted for Dixon's wicket shortly after, bringing India back into contention.
Although left-handed opener Harjas Singh initially struggled, his innings transformed after a few boundaries off off-spinner Priyanshu Moliya. Harjas, who had previously struggled in the tournament, showcased remarkable resilience, counterattacking with sweeps and slog-sweeps to neutralize the spin threat.
Despite Harjas's fifty and useful contributions from Ryan Hicks (20 runs), Australia's middle order faltered, with Raf MacMillan and Oliver Peake falling in quick succession. Limbani, despite battling a hamstring issue, returned to dismiss Charlie Anderson, but Australia managed to accumulate a healthy total with useful contributions from the lower order.
In the end, Australia scored 66 runs in the final 10 overs to reach a competitive total.
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