Benoni (South Africa): India U-19 skipper Uday Saharan rued that his team was prepared but could not execute their plans in the summit clash of the U-19 World Cup, which they lost to Australia by 79 runs in a lop-sided contest on Sunday.
Australia led by Hugh Weibgen put up an all-round show to thrash India-U19 in the final here and win their fourth title. Australia first put up a challenging 253 for 7 on the board and then bundled out India U-19 for 174 to emerge triumphant.
"I'm proud of the boys, they played well. (The players) showed good fighting spirit throughout the tournament. We played a few rash shots today and didn't spend time in the middle. We were prepared but couldn't execute the plans," Saharan said at the post-match presentation. He said he and his team had a lot of learning from this tournament.
"We will try to keep learning and getting better," he said. Winning Australian skipper Hugh Weibgen said he was proud of his boys."Everyone was open to batting first. Our plan was to get a few runs and back ourselves," he said.
Weibgen described Harjas Singh, the Aussie batter who played a key innings of 55 and whose family is from India, as a "quality player." "Full credit to the coaches for sticking with him. India is a class side, they dominated the whole tournament. I'm sure these guys will do a lot of great things in their careers," the Australian U-19 skipper added.
Meanwhile, Kwena Maphaka, who was adjudged as the Player of the Tournament, said that the award meant a lot to him. "I will remember this for (a long time). I worked on my in-swing a lot, that's what helped me in this tournament. Super eager for the future, will be amazing if I can make it happen (play for South Africa). Lot of hard work to do," the South Africa U-19 pacer added.
Meanwhile, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said the journey of the Indian U19 team has left an incredible mark of inspiration. "Although our Under-19 boys may have fallen short in the finals against Australia, their journey has left an indelible mark of inspiration. From triumph to tribulation, each match became a testament to the unwavering spirit, determination, and skill of our team," Jay Shah said in an elaborate post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"The entire squad showcased the true essence of cricket. Uday Saharan inspiring leadership, Saumy Pandey exceptional spin bowling. Musheer Khan fearlessly taking on the bowlers and Raj Limbani’s emerging as a pace sensation was a sight to behold. To every single member of the team, I express heartfelt gratitude. This game is as unpredictable as it is beautiful. You've made us proud with the way you've played the game – with heart, pride, and a never-say-die attitude! Congratulations to the Australia U19 team for winning the ICC Under-19 World Cup trophy!," added Jay Shah.
