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Men’s U19 WC: A look back at India and Australia’s route to the title clash of the tournament
Benoni, Feb 10 (IANS) After 21 days and 40 matches, India and Australia will battle it out for supremacy in the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup final on Sunday in Benoni. It sets the stage for another chapter in the recent history of the two cricketing nations, as their senior sides clashed in finals of both the World Test Championship Final and the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup last year.
Both teams have showcased remarkable consistency throughout the tournament, maintaining unbeaten streaks as they head into the title clash, as per ICC. As the two teams gear up for an epic clash, we take a look back at their journeys in the tournament.
India
India kicked off their World Cup campaign with a convincing win against Bangladesh. Maruf Mridha broke through early for Bangladesh, removing Arshin Kulkarni and Musheer Khan inside the Powerplay.
Adarsh Singh and captain Uday Saharan struck a fifty each to bail India out of trouble with a brilliant 116-run stand for the third wicket. Maruf was at the top of his game, bagging a five-wicket haul in the first game of the tournament, however, late contributions from Aravelly Avanish and Sachin Dhas propelled India to a formidable total of 251/7.
In reply, Bangladesh put on a steady 38-run stand for the opening wicket but the good work was undone by wickets in the Powerplay courtesy of Raj Limbani and Saumy Pandey (4/24). The team went from 38/0 to 50/4 before Ariful Islam and Mohammad Shihab James stabilised the innings, yet once Musheer broke the partnership, the remaining Bangladesh wickets fell quickly, and they were eventually bowled out for 167.
India showcased dominance with both bat and ball in a resounding 201-run victory over Ireland. Musheer Khan and Uday Saharan were the stars of the batting innings, registering a century and fifty respectively as they forged a 156-run stand for the third wicket.
Aravelly Avanish and Sachin Dhas once again played handy cameos to take India’s total past the 300-run mark. In pursuit of 302, Ireland faced early setbacks as Naman Tiwari ran through the top order with a four-wicket haul. Saumy Pandey picked up three wickets as Ireland were bundled out for 100, with only four batsmen managing to reach double-digit scores.
The Indian juggernaut rolled on with yet another victory by a massive margin of 201 runs against USA in the final group-stage match. Batting first again, India managed to put on another massive 300-run plus score on board. Arshin Kulkarni anchored the majority of the innings en route to his century and was well supported by Musheer Khan’s fifty.
The lower order came to the party again, taking India to 326/5. In reply, USA lost three wickets inside eight overs and struggled to come to terms with India’s depth of bowling talent.
Utkarsh Srivastava’s resilient 40 prevented a complete collapse, allowing USA to bat out the full 50 overs. USA could only muster a total of 125/8 in the innings with Naman Tiwari continuing his impressive form, recording his second consecutive four-wicket haul.
India carried forward their momentum from the Group Stages to the Super Six with another massive 214-run win over New Zealand. Musheer Khan played a stellar innings, smashing his second century of the tournament with a brilliant score of 131, guiding India to a total of 295/8.
Adarsh Singh played a crucial supporting role, again contributing with a fifty. Raj Limbani put India on top early with a blend of pace and swing contributing to two quick wickets, before Saumy Pandey picked up another four-wicket haul to roll New Zealand over for just 81.
India punched their ticket to the semi-final with a resounding 132-run victory over Nepal in the final Super Six game. Uday Saharan and Sachin Dhas smashed a century each as they forged a 215-run stand – the highest fourth wicket partnership in U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup history.
Chasing 298, Nepal put on a solid 48-run stand for the opening wicket but were rocked by the flurry of wickets that followed, led by Saumy Pandey’s four-for. With only five batters reaching double-digit scores, Nepal concluded their innings at 165/9, falling short of the target set by India by 132 runs.
In the semi-finals, India encountered a stiff challenge from the tournament hosts South Africa, but ultimately emerged victorious in a thrilling contest. Fifties from Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Richard Seletswane laid a solid foundation for South Africa before Juan James and Tristan Luus finished with a flourish to take the Proteas to a competitive 244/7.
Kwena Maphaka and Luus had India in trouble early with an exceptional display of pace and swing. India were staring down the barrel at 32/4 when Uday Saharan and Sachin Dhas delivered the rescue act – a 171-run stand steering India away from a perilous position.
Although Maphaka concluded his spell with two crucial wickets, Saharan held one end strong and his captain’s knock left India on the brink of a dramatic victory. Raj Limbani hit the winning runs to take India to their fifth consecutive U19 Men’s World Cup final.
Australia
In the opening game of the tournament, Namibia tested Australia’s mettle, pushing them to the brink in a closely contested match in Kimberley. Callum Vidler’s four-wicket haul and Tom Straker’s three wickets bundled Namibia out for just 91.
It looked like it would be a stroll in the park before Jack Brassell’s inspired bowling performance turned the match on its head. Australia found themselves in a challenging position at 57/5, facing the possibility of an opening day upset.
In the face of adversity, captain Hugh Weibgen led by example, forming a crucial partnership with Raf MacMillan. Together, they navigated Australia through the difficult situation and secured a hard-fought victory by four wickets.
Australia responded to the close shave against Namibia in a dominant style with a massive 225-run win over Zimbabwe in their next game. The top three of Sam Konstas, Harry Dixon and Hugh Weibgen were amongst the runs, with the latter two registering half-centuries. Tom Campbell’s late flourish propelled Australia to an imposing total of 296/7.
The bowlers continued the momentum with a brilliant display, dismantling Zimbabwe for a lowly 71, the key destroyer being Harkirat Bajwa, whose spin threat was highlighted with figures of 4/15. Next up for Australia was a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka.
Callum Vidler’s brilliant start to the tournament continued with two early wickets against Sri Lanka. Each of the six bowlers on the day got in on the action but Dinura Kalupahana’s 64 helped Sri Lanka post a competitive total of 208.
Australia began their innings with a brisk 71-run opening stand, but a minor collapse saw them slip to 80/3. In stepped Ryan Hicks, displaying composure and control, hitting an unbeaten 77 to guide Australia to victory and secure passage to the Super Six stage.
Australia kicked off their Super Six journey with a thumping 110-run victory over arch-rivals England. Captain Hugh Weibgen led from the front, playing a captain’s knock with a top-class century. Walking in to bat in the first over, Weibgen nearly spent the entire innings at the crease, forming crucial partnerships with the middle order to guide Australia to a total of 266/6.
In response, England took on the Australian attack, but their momentum was halted by a stunning display of fast bowling from Callum Vidler. Vidler picked up four wickets in the Powerplay, leaving England reeling at 60/4.
The match was interrupted by rain and the target was revised to 214 off 24 overs. England had no choice but to go gung-ho and, in the process, were bowled out for a paltry score of 104.
Rain then played spoilsport in the virtual knockout clash between Australia and West Indies, with Weibgen’s side securing semi-final qualification as points were shared in Kimberley. In challenging conditions, Sam Konstas emerged as the lone warrior for Australia, crafting a resilient innings of 108 and guiding the team to a total of 227/8.
The match promised an exciting showdown, but unfortunately, rain interrupted play with West Indies at 24/2. Unfortunately, no further play was possible, and as a result, Australia advanced to the semi-finals.
The second semi-final between Australia and Pakistan unfolded as a memorable contest that will be etched in memory for years to come. Tom Straker ran through the Pakistan batting line-up, leaving them in disarray at 79/5 before Azan Awais and Arafat Minhas came to Pakistan’s rescue with solid half-centuries.
Straker returned to claim more victims, and finished with figures of 6/24, the best bowling figures in either semi-finals or finals of an U19 Men’s World Cup to bowl Pakistan out for 179.
It looked like a routine chase for Australia, who put on a 33-run opening stand before 15-year-old Ali Raza wreaked havoc. Harry Dixon was the only player to make a major contribution in the top-order with a fifty.
At 102/5, Oliver Peake and Tom Campbell came together and threatened to take the game away from Pakistan when Minhas struck to bring his team back into the contest. Campbell’s dismissal triggered a collapse, and Australia found themselves at 164/9, still needing 16 runs for victory.
In a nerve-racking ending, the game reached its conclusion in the final over when an inside edge from the bat of Raf MacMillan carried to the boundary beyond the desperate dive of Ubaid Shah to trigger jubilant Australian celebrati
ons.
–IANS
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Bengaluru, Aug 22 (IANS) Shivamogga Lions’ woes continued as they suffered a 28-run defeat to the Mysore Warriors in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.
Mysore Warriors delivered a well-rounded performance, anchored by Karun Nair’s (45) swift knock, supported by a few other good contributions in the middle order, and highlighted by late-innings fireworks from J Suchith (22*) and Manoj Bhandage (23).
On the bowling front, Vidyadhar Patil (3/29) and Karthik CA (3/31) played crucial roles in restricting the Shivamogga Lions. Sharath HS’ (4/29) lethal spell with the ball and valiant efforts from Abhinav Manohar (46) and Nihal Ullal (46) with the bat couldn’t turn the tide in Shivamogga’s favour.
Chasing 180, Shivamogga Lions got off to a disastrous start, with Vidyadhar Patil’s lethal first over leading to the dismissals of Mohith Bangalore (2) and Dheeraj Mohan (0) in consecutive deliveries. Skipper Nihal Ullal (46) managed to crack a few early boundaries, but Hardik Raj (17) was also removed by Krishnappa Gowtham, leaving the Lions reeling at 41/3 by the end of the powerplay.
K Gowtham then engineered the run out of Rohan Naveen (11), further denting the chase. The in-form Abhinav Manohar (Impact Player) joined Ullal, and the duo breathed life into the innings, putting together a 70-run partnership in just 43 balls.
However, Ullal fell short of his first half-century of the season, leaving the Shivamogga Lions at 123/5 in 15.1 overs. Manohar also narrowly missed his milestone, holing out to K Gowtham off Karthik CA. Manohar’s 26-ball knock included four sixes and three fours, adding valuable runs to the total.
Karthik CA struck again two deliveries later, dismissing Shivraj S and leaving the Lions in deep trouble. With 47 runs needed from the final 18 balls, Ashok D tried to keep the chase alive by smashing a six and a four off Vidyadhar Patil, but perished in the same over, effectively ending Shivamogga’s prospects. Shivamogga Lions finished at 151/9 in 20 overs, enduring their sixth consecutive loss.
Batting first, Mysore Warriors faced an early challenge as Sharath HS unleashed a menacing spell. He struck in the powerplay, dismissing Karthik SU (8), and then returned in the seventh over to remove CA Karthik (30), who smashed three sixes in a 34-run stand with Karun Nair (45) and Harshil Dharmani (0).
Nair continued in fine touch and peppered the boundary with six fours and two sixes during his 23-ball stay before falling to Ashok D in the 11th over.
Kishan Bedare (17) steered the innings, forming a 28-run partnership with Nair and adding another 29 runs with Sumit Kumar (28) before being caught and bowled by Bharath Dhuri, leaving the Warriors at 116/5 in 16.1 overs. The depth of Mysore’s batting lineup came to the fore as Manoj Bhandage and J Suchith launched a late assault.
Vasuki Koushik, tasked with the 18th over, began with a six and a four from Sumit Kumar. Bhandage then took charge, hammering three consecutive sixes off Koushik in the same over before falling as Sharath’s fourth wicket in the 19th ending a blistering 23-run cameo off just seven balls. J Suchith, carried on the momentum, smashing two sixes and a four in an 8-ball flurry, pushing the Mysore Warriors to a competitive 179/7 in their 20 overs.
Brief scores: Mysore Warriors 179 for 7 in 20 overs (Karthik CA 30, Karun Nair 45, Sumit Kumar 28; Sharath HS 4-29) beat Shivamogga Lions 151/9 in 20 overs (Nihal Ullal 46, Abhinav Manohar 46 runs; Vidyadhar Patil 3-29, Karthik CA 3-31) by 28 runs.
–IANS
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Castle Rock (Colorado), Aug 22 (IANS) Indian Americans Sahith Theegala and Akshay Bhatia who failed to make it to the Top-10 last week at the St Jude Championships, the first of the three Play-offs events, will be looking for a better showing as they move towards the finale at the Tour Championships after that.
Last week Hideki Matsuyama, after leading by five at one time, had to birdie the last two holes to win the St Jude Championships. He became the first Asian to win a Play-off event and it was his 10th PGA Tour win, the highest from the continent.
Last week Bhatia was T-12, Rai was T-16 and Theegala was way behind in T-46, but all three have entered the second of the three Play-offs events.
World No, 2 Xander Schauffele, a two-time Major winner in 2024, was tied second last week with Viktor Hovland, while World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was fourth last week, though World No. 3 Rory McIlroy had a poor week in T-68 place.
Among Asians Korea’s Si Woo Kim has all to play for at the BMW Championship, the second of three FedExCup Playoffs events, in Colorado this week, with two big goals providing the drive for him to step up his game.
The four-time PGA TOUR winner tees up at Castle Pines Golf Club with the intention of breaking into the top-30 of the FedExCup points list and qualify for the Playoffs Finale, the TOUR Championship next week. Kim is presently ranked 44th after last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship.
A strong week is also required for Kim to keep alive his hopes of earning a spot in the International Team to face the U.S. Team in the Presidents Cup in Royal Montreal next month. Currently 14th on the team roster, the top-6 after this week’s BMW Championship will secure automatic spots, with captain Mike Weir naming six more picks after the TOUR Championship.
Compatriots Sungjae Im and Byeong Hun An, who are 10th and 15th respectively on the FedExCup rankings, are virtually assured of teeing up at the TOUR Championship, which will use a staggered-scoring format based on positions after this week.
Irrespective of how his week plays out, Kim is pleased to secure his top-50 status, which guarantees starts in all eight Signature tournaments next season.
–IANS
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New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) The packed schedule of men’s county cricket in 2025 will remain largely unchanged, despite concerns raised by the majority of players over the impact on their physical well-being.
According to a survey conducted by the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) earlier this season, more than 80 per cent of players expressed fears that the current schedule is too demanding and poses risks to their health.
However, despite these concerns, the 2025 schedule is set to continue as usual. Each county will still compete in a minimum of 14 County Championship matches, eight Metro Bank Cup fixtures, and 14 Vitality T20 Blast games. The changes for next season will be largely cosmetic, offering little relief for players concerned about the gruelling calendar.
The PCA has been advocating for adjustments that would spread out the T20 fixtures across the week, aiming to reduce tight turnarounds and introduce more consistent three-day breaks between Championship games.
“There’s definitely room for improvement in 2025 compared to 2024,” said Daryl Mitchell, the PCA’s interim chief executive, in an interview with ESPNcricinfo. “The schedule can definitely be managed better. Certainly, the Blast was very much looked at through a commercial lens, trying to squeeze as many games as possible into Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Utilizing the majority of the week is probably the way forward, trying to spread them out to give that time for recovery, travel, and preparation.”
The T20 Blast, in particular, has been the main point of debate when it comes to scheduling. The timing of the knockout stages has been a significant concern. In 2023, these stages were held immediately after the group matches in July, allowing counties to retain their overseas players. This year, however, the knockout stages will be pushed to September, giving clubs an extended six-week window to market and sell tickets for home quarter-finals.
While these adjustments offer slight improvements, the overall schedule remains packed, leaving many players apprehensive about how much more they can push themselves physically in the long term. Despite the calls for change, it appears that any significant reduction in the number of fixtures is unlikely in the future, with commercial considerations still driving much of the decision-making process around county cricket.
–IANS
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New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) After ending his T20I career with an elusive T20 World Cup title in Barbados, captain Rohit Sharma revealed that it was his dream to transform the team without thinking too much about the results.
Rohit-led Indian team ended the decade-long ICC title drought after beating South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 to lift their second title in the format. In 2023, the Men in Blue failed to win the World Test Championship and 2023 ODI World Cup under Rohit’s leadership after losing to Australia in the finals.
The swashbuckling opening batter also credited the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah, former head coach Rahul Dravid and chief selector Ajit Agarkar for their support in transforming the team and creating a fearless culture in the squad.
“It was my dream to transform this team and not worry too much about stats and results and also to make sure that we create an environment where people can go out and play freely, without thinking too much. I got a lot of help from my three pillars Jay Shah, Rahul Dravid and chairman of selector Ajit Agarkar. That was critical for me to do what I did. Obviously, not to forget players who came in at different points in time and helped the team to achieve what we have achieved today,” Rohit said in a video posted by BCCI on X.
On Wednesday, Rohit was awarded ‘Men’s International Cricketer of the Year’ while Dravid was accorded the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at Ceat Cricket Rating Awards 2023-24 in Mumbai. India’s batting stalwart Virat Kohli was named the ‘Men’s ODI Batter of the Year’ while on the bowling front, Mohammed Shami was awarded the ‘ODI Bowler of the Year’.
The 37-year-old batter finished as the second-highest run-getter in the T20 World Cup with 257 runs including three half-centuries and at a strike rate of 156.70. He played a major role in providing solid starts for the team on the slow pitches of the USA and the West Indies.
After lifting the title, Rohit joined Kohli to announce his retirement from the T20I. With 4,231 runs, Rohit is the leading run-getter in the format behind his teammate Kohli (4188 runs). Both batters will continue to play the other formats of the game. The duo last featured for India in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
–IANS
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Gotemba (Japan), Aug 22 (IANS) A year after being the youngest ever to make the cut at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Kartik Singh, now 14 years of age, is the highest ranked among the four Indians set to take part in the 15th AAC to be held in Japan.
As of date Kartik is the highest ranked Indian at 199 while the other three players to have received the invitation for this prestigious event are Krishnav Nikhil Chopra and Vedant Sirohi, both past participants in the event and Rakshit Dahiya will be in the four-player team.
Kartik Singh has also been named to the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup team. A regular winner in junior and amateur events, Kartik will spearhead the Indian challenge.
Apart from India’s Kartik Singh, there are seven others named to the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup International Team. They are Joshua Bai, Warut Boonrod, Xihuan Chang, Rayhan Latief, Khanh Hung Le, Thangwin Lee, Anh Minh Ngyuyen,
As many as 113 players have been confirmed for the Championship, which will be held October 3-6, 2024, at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba in Gotemba, Japan. A full list of confirmed players can be found. The field will be 120 with a few more names to be added by the Organisers.
India’s best ever placing has been second place by Rayhan Thomas, who was runner-up in Sentosa, Singapore in 2018. The Dubai-based Indian Rayhan has since turned professional, and last week won his first pro title on India’s Professional Tour of India Tour.
Krishnav, who plays college golf in the US, is the son of former India cricketer turned commentator, Nikhil Chopraa, who often takes the role of a caddie for his son.
Created in 2009, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was established by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), The R&A and the Masters Tournament to further develop amateur golf in the Asia-Pacific region.
The champion will receive an invitation to compete in the 2025 Masters Tournament and The 153rd Open, while the runner(s)-up will gain a place in Final Qualifying for The Open.
The confirmed list which has players from 38 APGC member organizations is highlighted by defending champion Jasper Stubbs of Australia and four players representing China inside the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking: Wenyi Ding (No. 4), Xihuan Chang (No. 36), Xiangyun Bai (No. 61) and Paul Chang (No. 97).
Ding finished runner-up to Stubbs in the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur while Xihuan Chang reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Junior Amateur in July.
Other top-100 participants include Vietnam’s Anh Minh Nguyen (No. 68) and Japan’s Rintaro Nakano (No. 78).
Notable past competitors include 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, and 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith. Over the Championship’s 14-year history, the Championship has served as a springboard to some of the world’s top players, including Matsuyama, Smith, Cameron Davis, Ryan Fox, Si Woo Kim, Satoshi Kodaira, Kyoung-Hoon Lee, Min Woo Lee, Keita Nakajima and C.T. Pan. Collectively, alumni of the Asia-Pacific Amateur have gone on to win 27 tournaments on the PGA Tour to date and more than 130 across the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.
As the host nation, Japan will lead the list of up to 43 APGC member nations represented with 10 players in this year’s field. A player from Japan has won four of the 14 editions of the Championship (Matsuyama/2010, 2011; Takumi Kanaya/2018; Nakajima/2021).
–IANS
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