Australia secured a dominant 79-run victory over India in the final of the 2024 U19 World Cup, held in Benoni, South Africa, on Sunday.
Opting to bat first in Benoni, Australia made a significant change, with Charlie Anderson replacing Tom Campbell, while the Indian team remained unchanged. The young Australian side posted a formidable total of 253/7, the highest ever in a U19 World Cup final. Harjas Singh top-scored with 55 runs, supported by Weibgen, Harry Dixon, and Ollie Peak, each contributing close to 40 runs. Raj Limbani was the pick of India’s bowlers, claiming 3/38.
India’s chase got off to a rocky start, losing four wickets within the first 20 overs, including key batsmen Musheer Khan, Uday Saharan, and Sachin Dhas.
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Australia continued to assert dominance, claiming four more wickets by the 32nd over. Despite a late resurgence from Abhishek Murugan, Australia sealed the victory in the 44th over.
India’s pursuit suffered early setbacks with the dismissal of Arshin Kulkarni. Adarsh Singh and Musheer Khan initially struggled to score quickly, managing only two boundaries in the initial powerplay. Musheer was dismissed for 22 off Mahli Beardman’s bowling, while Beardman also removed Uday Saharan for 8. Sachin Dhas fell to Raf MacMillan for 8. Priyanshu Moliya and Aravelly Avanish failed to contribute significantly.
Although Adarsh Singh fought valiantly with a knock of 47, his departure signaled India’s inevitable defeat, despite a brisk 42 from Abhishek Murugan.
It’s worth mentioning that this victory marks Australia’s third triumph over India in an ICC final. The men’s team previously clinched the World Test Championship final by 209 runs in June 2023 at The Oval, London. Additionally, Pat Cummins’ side emerged victorious against India on their home turf, winning the ODI World Cup 2023 final by six wickets in Ahmedabad.