Benoni (South Africa): Australia scripted a historic moment on Sunday as they won the fixture by 79 runs at Willowmoore Park, Benoni. It was fourth Under-19 World Cup trophy for the Australians being the second most successful side.
Australia won the toss in the game and opted to bat first. Harjas Singh was the highest run-scorer with a knock of 55 runs while Harry Dixon and Hugh Weibgen contributed with 42 and 48 respectively. A collective effort from the batting unit helped Australia post 253/7 in the first innings. Raj Limbani was the pick of the bowlers with three scalps to his name.
India's run chase was full of struggle as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Adarsh Singh was the highest run-getter with a knock of 47 runs while Murugan Abhishek scored 42 runs providing some resilience. Mahli Beardman and Raf MacMilllan scalped three wickets each for the Australian team and played a pivotal role in their victory. As a result, Australia secured a win by 79 runs in the match.
Here were the key updates from second innings:
- IND 174 (43.5)
Final nail in the coffin for the Indian team as Saumy Pandey tried to play a delivery shaping away from him towards third man. The batter icked it and the wicketkeeper grabbed an easy catch. - IND 169/9 (40.3)
Murugan who appeared to be playing a decisive knock has bitten the dust as well. Callum Vidler bowled a short pitch delivery on off and the batter attempted to play a pull on it. The ball took the toe edge of the bat and it was an easy catch at backwards point for Hugh Weibgen. - IND 166/8 (40 Overs)
While Murugan is playing a sensible knock from one end, Naman Tiwari also joins the party by smashing a six with slog sweep against Raf MacMilllan. The duo is building a partnership to keep the team alive in the contest. - IND 136/8 (36 Overs)
Murugan Abhishek is showing some resilience but the match seems to be out of India's control. India have only two wickets in hand with more than 100 runs required to win. - IND 122/8 (31.5 Overs)
Raf MacMilllan bowls a brilliant delivery to get rid of Raj Limbani. The spinner bowled a loopy full delivery which shaped back in to the batter. Limbani tried to play a drive through the off-side and the ball hits the base of middle and leg. - IND 115/7 (30.2 Overs)
Adarsh Singh was the last hope in India's run chase. He was middling the ball from one end while the lower-order batters were getting dismissed continuously. The batter tried to pull a short delivery from the pacer but gets a fine tickle off the gloves. The wicketkeeper catches it with ease and India are in deep deep trouble. - IND 91/6 (25.3 Overs)
Aravelly Avanish is the next one to get dismissed and he walks back to pavilion without troubling the scorers. Raf MacMilllan bowled a flighted delivery to the left-handed batter and he played straight in the hands of the bowler. - IND 90/5 (24.5 Overs)
Soft dismissal as Priyanshu Moliya tries to go for a pull on a short delivery outside off. However, the batter mistimes his stroke and the top edge lands into the hands of Callum Vidler who peddled backward to take the catch while being stationed at mid-on. - IND 68/4 (19.1 Overs)
India's worries continue to haunt them as Sachin Dhas walks back to the pavilion as well. The delivery from the bowler was tossed outside off, and it drifted away from the batter beating him on the outside edge. The wicketkeeper nicks it - IND 56/3 (17 Overs)
A soft dismissal for Uday Saharan as he played his drive through the air toward backward point on a delivery bowled way outside off from Mahli Beardman. The batter played his shot straight into the hands of Hugh Weibgen. Saharan has been India's in-form batter and he gets dismissed on a low score. - IND 41/2 (13 Overs)
Musheer Khan (22) was dismissed by right-arm pacer Mahil Beardman. Beardman cleaned up Musheer as the bowl remained low. In walked in-form skipper Uday Saharan. - IND 36/1 (11 Overs)
Opener Adarsh Singh and Musheer Khan are rebuilding the Indian innings after early fall of Arshin Kulkarni. The duo have so far added 33 runs for the unbroken second wicket, with Musheer being the aggressive. Adarsh Singh is playing the perfect second fiddle. However, the Australian bowlers have been right on the money. - IND 17/1 (6 Overs)
Australian bowlers are generating a significant amount of seam movement from the surface. Especially, Musheer's shot on the second delivery of the over was commendable. Charlie Anderson bowled a good length delivery and the batter smacked it towards mid-off earning a boundary. - IND 3/1 (2.2 Overs)
An early strike from Callum Vidler as he dismisses a crucial scalp in form of Arshin Kulkarni. The pacer bowled a delivery on the fourth stump and the delivery seamed away from the right-handed batter. The batter nicked the ball straight to the wicketkeeper and India suffers an early blow.
Here are the updates from the first innings:
- AUS 253/7 (50 Overs)
Oliver Peake hit last ball boundary and take Australia past 250-run mark. Australia post 253 for seven wickets in their allotted fifty overs. This a highest total by any team in the summit clash of the U-19 World Cup since its inception. Australia have accumulated 66 runs in the last 10 overs and set the commendable total in front Indian side to win their sixth title. Peake played much important innings down the order to take Australia to a competitive total and finished on 46 not out off 43 deliveries with two fours and a six. Raj Lumbini was the pick of the bowler, who picked three crucial wickets, conceding only 38 runs in his 10 overs while Naman Tiwary proved little expensive but picked two important wickets for 63 runs. India spinners Musheer Khan and Saumy Pandey bagged one wicket each. So, India need 254 runs to clinched their trophy for record sixth time. - AUS 235/7 (46 Overs)
Raj Limbani makes a solid comeback after right-hand batter Charlie Anderson hit him for six. Limbani picks up his third wickets as India eye to bowl out Australia inside their allotted 50 overs. He bowl straight on the stumps with pace on it and Anderson didn't had any clue. - AUS 207/6 (44 Overs)
Oliver Peake and Charlie Anderson have added 20 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket as Australia have gone past the 200-run mark. - AUS 187/6 (40 Overs)
Left-arm spinner Musheer Khan joined the party and he dismissed Raf MacMilllan (2) cheaply. Musheer Khan bagged a catch on his bowling after diving to his left in the 40th over. Australia was in a spot of bother at 187 for 6 and it was advantage for India at the moment. - AUS 179/5 (38 Overs)
Pandey does the trick for India, removed dangerous looking Harjas Singh soo after completion of his half-century. Singh played the wrong line of the ball and it struck on his pads. first wicket for a spinner in this match. While Raj Limbani bowled only two overs in his second spell and picked up a wicket. India have not just picked wickets have took control on the run rate. Only 14 runs have came from the last four overs. - AUS 165/4 (34.1 Overs)
Raj Limbani does the job for Uday Saharan. He breaks the 66-run partnership as he removes Ryan Hicks for 20 off 25 balls. Raj bowled a off cutter on good length, Ryan missed it completely and found himself right in front of the stumps. Umpire had no hesitation in giving it as out. Another good bowling change from the captain. All four wickets have gone to pacers and we haven't any help for spinners from the pitch. - AUS 155/3 (33 Overs)
Harjas Singh and Ryan Hicks bring up fifty partnership in quick time and take Australia past 150-run mark. India would look to control run rate here by picking a wicket and building pressure by bowling few dot balls. Harjas is using field restrictions quite nicely, putting a ball into the gaps, finding singles and boundaries on few occasions. He hasn't faced any kind of challenge and not given any opportunity to Indian bowlers whatsoever. - AUS 134/3 (28 Overs)
After losing two quick wickets, middle order batters Harjas Singh and Ryan Hicks are rebuilding the innings for Australia. They have accumulated 31 runs in the last five overs. Hicks is taking on the Indian spinners while Singh is just putting the balls in the gaps and stealing singles. India cannot afford to lose the momentum here. They'll have to keep picking wickets on regular intervals. - AUS 99/3 (23 Overs)
After getting hit for 15 runs in his first over of the crucial final, Naman Tiwary has picked two quick wickets for India in two overs in his second spell. Naman first picked a wicket of skipper Hugh Weibgen, who played a lofted drive towards point, gave a sitter to Musheer Khan and then sent Dixon, who failed to read a slower ball from the left-arm pacer and ended up playing it in the air towards Murugan Abhishek at covers, who took a good running catch. - AUS 87/1 (20 Overs)
Both the batters are playing smart cricket. They are waiting for a bad balls to score a boundaries, but also rotating strikes to keep the scoreboard ticking and not play many dot deliveries. Australia have amassed 24 runs in the last five overs including three fours. India's skipper Uday Saharan is giving small spell to his bowlers, not letting the opposition batters to settle down against any particular bowler. - AUS 63/0 (15 Overs)
Fifty up for Australia. Dixon and Weibgen are happy to take singles that are on offer. They have accumulated 21 runs in last five overs without losing a wicket. Both the batters are looking well set and didn't look in any kind of trouble. India badly need a wicket here to not let the game go away from their hands. off-spinner Murugan is testing southpaw Dixon's technique against spin, so far, he has dealt it with an ease. - AUS 45/01 (10 Overs)
Indian bowlers after that Naman Tiwary's over have bowled little straighter and onto the stumps, as a result, they have got the success in bringing scoring rate. Australia are now scoring under five runs per over. A total of 15 runs have came from the last five overs and the partnership has gone up to 29 off 45 balls. Limbani finished his first spell on 12 runs in his five overs. India will be eyeing another wicket here. - AUS 29/1 (5 Overs)
Raj Limbani provided a much important early breakthrough for India, something which he has done constantly in this tournament so far. However, Australia have still managed to maintain a healthy run rate of almost six runs per over. Opener Harry Dixon is looking in hurry and very aggressive with bat, scoring the couple of boundaries against pacer Naman Tiwari. Skipper Uday straightaway made the bowling change and have taken the scoring rate under control. - Playing lineups
India U-19: Adarsh Singh, Arshin Kulkarni, Musheer Khan, Uday Saharan(c), Priyanshu Moliya, Sachin Dhas, Aravelly Avanish(w), Murugan Abhishek, Raj Limbani, Naman Tiwari, Saumy Pandey
Australia U-19: Harry Dixon, Sam Konstas, Hugh Weibgen(c), Harjas Singh, Ryan Hicks(w), Oliver Peake, Raf MacMilllan, Charlie Anderson, Tom Straker, Mahli Beardman, Callum Vidler - 1.00 pm
Australian skipper Hugh Weibgen won the toss and opt to bat first. - U-19 WC Final Head-to-Head
PLAYED - 2
IND - 2
AUS - 0 - World Cup Titles
India have won the title six times in 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018 and 2022.
Australia have won the title three times in 1988, 2002 and 2010.
