Image Credit- ICC
Thus, for the third time since June 2023, India and
Australia will square off in a grand final. The event is uncannily identical to
the one that occurred in November of last year. Though South Africa’s sizable
Indian community will attempt to make an impression with the teams vying for
the Under-19 World Cup, Benoni won’t be quite as scary as Ahmedabad.
India, the reigning winners, have had the greatest
amount of success in the history of the competition. They will be vying for
their sixth championship in their ninth final. Under Mitchell Marsh, Australia
last triumphed in 2010. Twice since then, they have faced off against a
dominant Indian team and have come in second.
Unmukt Chand won the title for India in Townsville in
2012 by playing above his comfort zone. In 2018, as India’s campaign came to an
end with Rahul Dravid being carried around Bay Oval, Manjot Kalra imitated his
Delhi senior in Mount Maunganui. After a span of six years, Australia is back
for another shot at junior cricket’s greatest prize, with equally high stakes.
They will be taking on a team whose age-group structure and pathway plans are
the envy of the cricket world.
In many areas, the road in India has been easy. They
have followed the well-worn route of batting first, steadily assembling, and
then ramping up in the last overs. Then, with everything on the line in the
semi-final, they chose to field first and faced South Africa, who presented
them with their toughest test to yet.
They found two heroes in Uday Saharan and Sachin Dhas,
who combined for the highest partnership for the fifth wicket in the history of
the Under-19 World Cups, to lead India home from the depths of 32 for 4 in a
pursuit of 246. It demonstrated the temperamental strength of the Indian team
and the significant benefits they had reaped from playing time in the practise
and inter-squad matches that many other teams adhered to.
Australia made it here by defeating Pakistan’s
terrifying threat. In the end, they made it through, barely. Pakistan had just
four fielders outside the ring because of their over-rate penalty, and they
needed four runs to win off the last over with one wicket remaining. If only
one of them had stayed outside, fine leg, was brought in.
Beyond the wins, it’s spurts of individual promise
like this that makes the Under-19 World Cup a spectacle that it is. There will
be several players from both sides to look out for come Sunday.