U19 World Cup Final: India Eyes Sixth Title, Australia Aims For Redemption
Uday Saharan-led India is set to clash against Hugh Weibgen 's Australia in the final of the U19 World Cup at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Sunday.
The final presents an opportunity for the Indian colts to seek revenge against the Australians after the senior team, captained by Rohit Sharma, lost to the Baggy Greens in the final of the 50-over showpiece event in their own backyard last year.
The defending world champions have emerged as one of the most successful sides in the tournament, boasting an all-win record in the group stages and eliminators. They aim for a sixth title in their ninth appearance in a final.
In contrast, Australia last won the U19 World Cup under the leadership of Mitchell Marsh in 2010. Despite facing the 'Boys in Blue' twice, they have failed to secure a victory.
Saharan 's team has enjoyed a comfortable run in the ongoing U19 World Cup, remaining unbeaten in the tournament. They have typically opted to bat first, gradually building their innings before accelerating in the death overs. However, in the semi-final against South Africa, they faced a tough challenge with their top-order faltering against the Proteas' bowling attack.
Meanwhile, Australia secured a thrilling 1-wicket win against Pakistan in the semi-final. Led by Weibgen, they required four runs in the last over, and Pakistan couldn't defend the target. Australia also boasts an unbeaten streak in their previous five matches, providing them with confidence heading into the final.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Saharan expressed confidence in his "fit" and "well-prepared" squad ahead of the final. Regarding the pitch in Benoni, he stated that the team is prepared to "face all the challenges."
"We are very excited for the finals. Everyone's fit and well-prepared, and a good mindset. We've seen the wickets. We've played there before, and we know quite a bit about it. We're ready to face all the challenges," Saharan said as quoted by ICC.
"We were watching the game from the sidelines. We wanted to see how the game was panning out, and how competitive it was. We wanted to gauge the kind of challenges that we'd come across. We watched the ending as well in the hotel, it was a nice game with a close finish. But we've our plans, and we'll execute them [in the final]," he added.
In contrast, Weibgen remarked that the wicket appeared "different from what we saw" in the semi-final.
"The pitch looks a bit different from what we saw [in the semi-final], they've cut some grass off. [It] might play a little different from the other day, so yeah that would be interesting to see," Weibgen said.
"It's good that we've had a couple of close games. The close battles have put us in pressure situations, and we've been able to come on the right side of those situations. So I'm sure it'll help us tomorrow," the Aussie skipper added.
The final match between India and Australia will commence at 1:30 PM IST.
India U19 Squad: Adarsh Singh, Arshin Kulkarni, Musheer Khan, Uday Saharan (C), Priyanshu Moliya, Sachin Dhas , Aravelly Avanish (Wk), Murugan Abhishek, Raj Limbani, Naman Tiwari, Saumy Pandey , Aaradhya Shukla, Ansh Gosai, Dhanush Gowda, Rudra Patel, Prem Devkar, Mohamed Amaan, Innesh Mahajan.
Australia U19 Squad: Harry Dixon, Sam Konstas , Hugh Weibgen (C), Harjas Singh, Ryan Hicks (Wk), Oliver Peake, Tom Campbell , Raf MacMillan, Tom Straker , Mahli Beardman, Callum Vidler, Lachlan Aitken, Charlie Anderson, Harkirat Bajwa, Corey Wasley, Aidan O Connor.
The final presents an opportunity for the Indian colts to seek revenge against the Australians after the senior team, captained by Rohit Sharma, lost to the Baggy Greens in the final of the 50-over showpiece event in their own backyard last year.
The defending world champions have emerged as one of the most successful sides in the tournament, boasting an all-win record in the group stages and eliminators. They aim for a sixth title in their ninth appearance in a final.
In contrast, Australia last won the U19 World Cup under the leadership of Mitchell Marsh in 2010. Despite facing the 'Boys in Blue' twice, they have failed to secure a victory.
Saharan 's team has enjoyed a comfortable run in the ongoing U19 World Cup, remaining unbeaten in the tournament. They have typically opted to bat first, gradually building their innings before accelerating in the death overs. However, in the semi-final against South Africa, they faced a tough challenge with their top-order faltering against the Proteas' bowling attack.
Meanwhile, Australia secured a thrilling 1-wicket win against Pakistan in the semi-final. Led by Weibgen, they required four runs in the last over, and Pakistan couldn't defend the target. Australia also boasts an unbeaten streak in their previous five matches, providing them with confidence heading into the final.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Saharan expressed confidence in his "fit" and "well-prepared" squad ahead of the final. Regarding the pitch in Benoni, he stated that the team is prepared to "face all the challenges."
"We are very excited for the finals. Everyone's fit and well-prepared, and a good mindset. We've seen the wickets. We've played there before, and we know quite a bit about it. We're ready to face all the challenges," Saharan said as quoted by ICC.
"We were watching the game from the sidelines. We wanted to see how the game was panning out, and how competitive it was. We wanted to gauge the kind of challenges that we'd come across. We watched the ending as well in the hotel, it was a nice game with a close finish. But we've our plans, and we'll execute them [in the final]," he added.
In contrast, Weibgen remarked that the wicket appeared "different from what we saw" in the semi-final.
"The pitch looks a bit different from what we saw [in the semi-final], they've cut some grass off. [It] might play a little different from the other day, so yeah that would be interesting to see," Weibgen said.
"It's good that we've had a couple of close games. The close battles have put us in pressure situations, and we've been able to come on the right side of those situations. So I'm sure it'll help us tomorrow," the Aussie skipper added.
The final match between India and Australia will commence at 1:30 PM IST.
India U19 Squad: Adarsh Singh, Arshin Kulkarni, Musheer Khan, Uday Saharan (C), Priyanshu Moliya, Sachin Dhas , Aravelly Avanish (Wk), Murugan Abhishek, Raj Limbani, Naman Tiwari, Saumy Pandey , Aaradhya Shukla, Ansh Gosai, Dhanush Gowda, Rudra Patel, Prem Devkar, Mohamed Amaan, Innesh Mahajan.
Australia U19 Squad: Harry Dixon, Sam Konstas , Hugh Weibgen (C), Harjas Singh, Ryan Hicks (Wk), Oliver Peake, Tom Campbell , Raf MacMillan, Tom Straker , Mahli Beardman, Callum Vidler, Lachlan Aitken, Charlie Anderson, Harkirat Bajwa, Corey Wasley, Aidan O Connor.
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