In the final of the ICC Under-19 World Cup at South Africa’s Benoni on Sunday, the Indian U19 cricket team suffered a disheartening defeat, losing by 79 runs to Australia. This outcome echoed the painful memory of the ICC Senior World Cup last year, where India, the overwhelming favorites, succumbed to Australia at home.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Australia set a target of 254 runs for India at Benoni. The Australian innings was powered by notable contributions from batsmen like Harjas Singh, who scored a half-century (55 runs), along with captain Hugh Weibgen (48), Oliver Peake (46), and Harry Dixon (42), resulting in the highest total in an U-19 World Cup final.
India, vying for a record sixth U-19 title and defending champions, entered the match unbeaten in the tournament, having triumphed over Bangladesh, Ireland, USA, New Zealand, Nepal, and hosts South Africa in a tense semi-final encounter.
Despite the efforts of pacer Raj Limbani, who claimed three wickets for 38 runs, and Naman Tiwary, who took two wickets, India faced early setbacks in their chase. Losing opener Arshin Kulkarni for just three runs, India struggled at 91 for 6. Notable contributions came from Adarsh Singh (47 off 77 balls), Musheer Khan (22), Murugan Abhishek (42), and Naman Tiwari, with the largest partnership of 46 runs between Murugan and Tiwari. Uday Saharan, the tournament’s leading run-scorer, managed only eight runs before departing.
This defeat also evoked memories of the 2003 senior World Cup, where the Indian cricket team faced a similar fate against Australia in challenging South African conditions. In 2003, under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly, India lost the final by 125 runs, marking another significant chapter in the rivalry between the two cricketing nations.