The themes exhibited similarities: India’s bowlers granted them a reprieve; the batsmen encountered difficulties in handling the speed and bounce in the ICC finals.
Gary Lineker, the renowned English football legend, once famously remarked about the German football team of the late 1980s and 90s, stating, “Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win.” In the realm of cricket, a similar sentiment can be applied to Australia. They consistently emerge victorious in major finals, often at the expense of India. In the past seven months alone, Australia has triumphed over India on three occasions in the finals of global tournaments. First, in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval, then in the ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad, and now in the U-19 World Cup summit clash in Benoni.
While India faltered on their path to the final, narrowly escaping defeat against Pakistan in the semifinals, Australia displayed a ruthless performance reminiscent of their senior counterparts when it truly mattered. They secured a resounding 79-run victory over India to claim their fourth U-19 title. Amassing a formidable total of 253 for 7, the highest ever recorded in an U-19 final, on a pitch that commentator Ian Bishop described as “one of the fastest surfaces I have ever seen for a U-19 World Cup, with significant lateral movement, bounce, and carry,” Australia proceeded to dismiss India for a mere 174 runs.
Unsurprisingly, Australia’s medium pacers thrived on this challenging pitch. Callum Vidler and Mahli Beardman troubled India’s batsmen with their pace, while Charlie Anderson and Tom Straker maintained the pressure with their tight bowling. Off-spinner Raf MacMilan capitalized on this foundation by claiming three wickets.
Vidler, who politely declined to answer the broadcaster’s question regarding the fastest bowler among them, struck the first blow for Australia by swiftly removing opener Arshin Kulkarni. Adarsh Singh and Musheer Khan managed to survive the powerplay, albeit with difficulty. However, Beardman, who entered the attack as the second change bowler, tore through India’s top order. Hailing from Dunsborough, West Australia, this pacer, who has already represented his state, unleashed his pace and left the Indian batsmen feeling intimidated and hesitant.
Like many pacers in the region, Dennis Lillee had a significant impact on him. He had approached the Australian legend three years ago, hoping to be mentored by him, but Lillee initially declined. “DK (Lillee) had a rule that he wouldn’t work with anyone until they were 16. I had to wait and work a bit, but when I was around 15, I managed to convince him to give me a chance,” Beardman shared with reporters before their semifinal match against Pakistan.
During their meeting at the south Perth nets, they bowled together and developed a good rapport. Since then, Lillee has been a tremendous mentor for Beardman. “Having him in my corner is invaluable. He’s a remarkable person,” Beardman added.
Known for his speed, Beardman made an impact in the tournament by taking wickets early on. In his first over, he dismissed Musheer Khan, who struggled against quality pace once again. Musheer, who was dropped at slips by Harry Dixon, never seemed comfortable during his 33-ball innings. Beardman’s second victim was India’s captain and the tournament’s leading run-scorer, Uday Saharan, who hit a shot straight to his counterpart Hugh Weibgen at backward point. Adarsh Singh, who fought valiantly with a score of 47, eventually fell to Beardman’s bouncer.
Beardman expressed his gratitude to Lillee during the post-match presentation. “I trusted my short balls and aimed to hit the wicket hard. Through DK, I’ve learned a lot about the mental aspect of the game, as well as strategic field placements. It’s been an incredible experience to bowl alongside him,” he acknowledged.
India’s disappointment was further compounded by MacMillan’s three-wicket haul. It was unexpected, like a question that wasn’t part of the syllabus. The part-time bowler struck with his first delivery, dismissing Sachin Dhas, who had appeared composed against the pacers. A faint edge ended Dhas’ World Cup campaign. Aravelly Avanish chipped a catch straight back to the bowler, resulting in a duck. Raj Limbani’s attempt to play a yorker ended India’s last remaining hopes.
Overall, it was a challenging match for India, with both Beardman and MacMillan proving to be formidable opponents.
Also Read | Raj Limbani: From mastering inswing bowling just eight months before the U-19 World Cup to troubling batsmen with his newfound weapon.
While the batting performance was disastrous, the bowlers will regret allowing Australia to score 253 for 7. After dismissing Sam Konstas when the team’s score was 16 in 2.3 overs, they allowed Harry Dixon (42) and Hugh Weibgen (48) to form a partnership of 78 runs for the second wicket. Despite losing two wickets while adding just five runs, Harjas Singh rose to the occasion. He had only scored 49 runs in the tournament so far, but he played a valuable innings of 55 off 64 balls. The left-handed batsman was particularly dominant against the spinners, hitting three sixes. Although Australia lost several wickets during the middle overs, Oliver Peake’s unbeaten 46 off 43 balls provided them with a strong finish. Apart from medium pacer Raj Limbani’s figures of 3/38, none of the other bowlers made a significant impact, resulting in a heavy cost.
India’s captain Uday Saharan attributed his team’s inability to execute plans against Australia’s pacers as the reason for their defeat. “Today, we played some reckless shots and didn’t spend enough time at the crease. We were well-prepared, but we couldn’t execute our plans,” he expressed his disappointment. Alternatively, it could be argued that they were up against Australia, the Germany of world cricket, known for their exceptional performance in tournaments. They always emerge victorious.
*****
Numbers
397 India’s captain Uday Saharan emerged as the highest run-scorer in the tournament, with a century and three scores of fifty or more.
4 This marked Australia’s fourth U-19 title, and their first since 2010. It was also their 14th ICC title.
Leave a Reply