India went down to a 79-run defeat against Australia in the Under-19 World Cup 2024 final in Benoni, South Africa, on Sunday, February 11. This defeat evoked haunting memories of ODI World Cup 2023, where senior Indian team crashed against the same team in the final.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Australia set a challenging target of 254 runs for India, largely fueled by a half-century from Harjas Singh, his first of the tournament. Notable contributions from captain Hugh Weibgen (48), Oliver Peake (46), and Harry Dixon (42) propelled Australia to their highest total in an Under-19 World Cup final.
However, Indian batters perished when it needed the most and were restricted to mere 174 to miss their shot at sixth U-19 World Cup title.
Hugh Weibgen reveals Australia's masterplan
Meanwhile, Australia skipper Hugh Weibgen revealed masterplan which ultimately scripted India's defeat in the summit clash. He said that Everyone was open to batting first, and the plan was to get a few runs and back themselves. And they did exactly the same to taste glory.
“So proud of the boys and our coaches. Everyone was open to batting first, our plan was to get a few runs and back ourselves. (On Harjas Singh) He is a quality player, class is permanent. Full credit to the coaches for sticking with him. India are a class side, they dominated the whole tournament, just came the wrong side. I'm sure these guys will do a lot of great things in their career. (On the pacers )They can go so far, as a unit they know their roles so well. I'll be surprised if the four of them don't go a long way in their careers,” Weibgen said in the post-match press conference.
India's awful batting
India got off to a awful start as opener Arshin Kulkarni fell early, managing only three runs, and the team found themselves struggling at 91 for 6 at a certain point. Among the batsmen, only opener Adarsh Singh (47 off 77 balls), Musheer Khan (22), Murugan Abhishek (42), and Naman Tiwari reached double figures.
India, the five-time U-19 champions and defending titleholders, were aiming for an unprecedented sixth title. They had maintained an unbeaten streak throughout the tournament, defeating teams like Bangladesh, Ireland, USA, New Zealand, Nepal, and hosts South Africa in a gripping semi-final.
Australia secured their fourth U19 World Cup title with this victory. Apart from India and Australia, only Pakistan has won more than one World Cup title at the U19 level.
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