Six-star India: U-19 men rule again
Mumbai: Salute the rising Indian teenagers. On Friday, riding on the effulgence of 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s breathtaking 175 runs, studded with 15 fours and 15 sixes, India thrashed England by 100 runs to lift the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup in Harare.
It would be no exaggeration to state that this triumph, on the eve of India’s campaign in the ICC T20 World Cup, has made the world sit up and take notice. Watching Vaibhav execute shots that were classy and pierced the field, it became clear that this boy is a big-match player. A World Cup final is the biggest stage it can get for a teenager who is yet to grow facial hair.
The way he built his knock in the company of skipper Ayush Mhatre was defining in many ways. Indeed, the 142-run stand for the second wicket between these two lit up the proceedings in Harare. To say that the English bowlers were made to look “club class” would not be an exaggeration.
Sebastian Morgan, who opened the bowling attack, was tamed. It made for a sad sight, as he conceded 74 runs in nine overs while taking two wickets. The other speedster, Alex Green, also went for runs as the onslaught from Vaibhav was unstoppable. His stroke production was exquisite, and he did not fear anything. In all, England used six bowlers, but to allow India to score 411 runs in 50 overs was just too much.
Social media erupted as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who scored 175, was being compared, rather prematurely, with Kapil Dev. Kapil had scored
the same number of runs against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup. Vaibhav is a special talent, and for all those who felt he failed in the recent Asia Cup, he has more than made up for it.
“I can’t express my feelings, but it’s a memorable night for us. What goals we set, they executed very well, and they played their natural game, so I am very happy,” said Ayush Mhatre, the skipper. “We have no words for Sooryavanshi’s innings. We know he is a fabulous batsman, and he has shown in this match what he can do. We just wanted to carry forward the legacy. India won the Men’s T20 World Cup, India’s women won the 50-over World Cup, and now we have won,” said Mhatre.
For the record, this was the sixth time India won the Under-19 World Cup.
“It is always going to be tough when a player like [Sooryavanshi] gets going. We struggled to know where to bowl. He came off, so fair play to him. He has shown us what he can do before, and we were scratching our heads a bit there. It was definitely tough on a good surface,” said England captain Thomas Rew.
To be sure, England started well in their chase, even though it was a tall order. The English batters did not collapse, even though the pressure was on them. At the top, a crisp 66 from Ben Dawkins put them on course. There was consolidation after the first wicket fell early. What was needed was one big innings for England. Caleb Falconer showed he was ready to counter-attack, scoring 115 runs against pace and spin. Once he fell to a brilliant catch from Khilan Patel off off-spinner Kanish Chouhan, England’s hearts sank. To stay in the hunt, they needed another big knock from the lower order. Wickets fell in quick time after the dismissal of Falconer.
All-rounder RS Ambrish was the pick among the Indian bowlers, taking three wickets for 56 runs from his nine overs. Deepesh Devendran and Kanishk were also on the prowl to ensure England fell short by 100 runs.
Cricket is, indeed, a team sport. Yet, in the ODI format, for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to explode into brilliance is proof that Indian cricket has found its next star. The way social media celebrated him was deserving. At the same time, he cannot be overexposed. Who knows, India could consider him a potential prospect for the ODI World Cup in 2027.
