Australia Triumphs Over India to Secure U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Title
In a thrilling final at Willowmoore Park, Benoni, a dominant Australian team showcased an all-round performance to clinch their fourth ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup title, defeating a strong Indian side on Sunday.
Under the leadership of Hugh Weibgen, Australia displayed an exceptional performance in the final, setting a record for the highest total ever in a U19 Men’s CWC final, followed by a flawless bowling display to dismantle India’s chase, securing a 79-run victory.
This victory echoes the dominance of Pat Cummins and his senior team in India a few months earlier, marking Australia’s first U19 title since Mitch Marsh’s victory in 2010.
Despite entering the tournament as defending champions, India had to settle for second place in their fifth consecutive final appearance in the U19 Men’s CWC.
Match Summary: Australia Defeats India by 79 Runs
Australia: 253/7 (50 overs) | India: 174 (43.5 overs)
The match began with Australia winning the toss and choosing to bat under a cloudy Benoni sky. Harry Dixon set a blistering tone to the innings, living up to his reputation as a David Warner replica by smashing Naman Tiwari for two fours and a six in the second over.
India’s Raj Limbani was the first to strike, producing a brilliant inswinger to breach the defence of Sam Konstas. India introduced Saumy Pandey early into the attack, hoping to exploit any vulnerability of Hugh Weibgen against left-arm spin. However, the Australian pair of Weibgen and Dixon rotated strike easily against the Indian bowlers.
Despite a brief slowdown in the scoring rate due to the introduction of spin, India failed to secure wickets and had to revert to pace. This strategy paid off as Tiwari induced a miscue from Weibgen, who was caught at backward point for 48. Tiwari struck again in his next over, coaxing Dixon to sky one with a well-disguised knuckle ball.
With two quick wickets, India clawed their way back into the match. However, Harjas Singh, who had previously struggled for form in the tournament, rose to the occasion with a crucial knock, teaming up with Ryan Hicks to anchor the Australian innings.
Despite the return of Limbani and the fall of a few more wickets, Australia managed to post a total of 253, the highest ever in a U19 Men’s CWC final, with Ollie Peake remaining unbeaten on 46.
Chasing a daunting target, India lost early wickets and were put on the back foot. Despite some resistance from Adarsh Singh and late fireworks from Murugan Abhishek, India were bowled out for 174, succumbing to an effective Australian unit.
Mahli Beardman was awarded the Player of the Match for his match-winning spell of three for 15 from his seven overs.
Australian skipper Hugh Weibgen expressed pride in his team’s performance and commended India for their efforts throughout the tournament. Indian captain Uday Saharan also praised his team’s fighting spirit and hoped to learn from the experience.