No other team would have dominated an ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup tournament as the Prithvi Shaw-led and Rahul Dravid-coached Indian team did at this year’s edition in New Zealand, clinching a record fourth title after winning all their games in the tournament. .
India had previously won the tournament in 2000, 2008 and 2012.
This is the 12th edition of the tournament which started in 1988. The inaugural event was won by Australia. The team from Down Under were also victorious in 2002 and 2010. The previous edition in 2016 was won by West Indies, which was their first win.
England were the winners in 1998 while Pakistan were the consecutive champions in 2004 and 2006. South Africa were the U19 World Cup winners in 2014.
The sub-continent team achieved the feat without losing a single game in the tournament. They won all of their six games including the final.
Batting first in the final, Jonathan Merlo made a solid 76 before the India’s left-arm spin duo of Shiva Singh and Anukul Roy sprung pulled back the opposition to bowl them out for 216.
Aussies were cruising at 183 for four before the Indian spinners engineered the collapse with Jason Sangha-led side losing its last six wickets for 33 runs.
Ishan Porel, Shiva Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Anukul Roy all took two wickets each while pacer Shivam Mavi scalped a single wicket.
In reply, openers Shaw and Manjot Kalra gave India a solid start before the skipper departed for 29 in the 12th over with India on 71. Kalra was then joined by India’s highest run-getter in the tournament, Shubman Gill. The pair added 60 runs for the second wicket. Gill was dismissed on 31 by off-spinner Param Uppal.
Manjot steadied the ship along with wicketkeeper batsman Harvik Desai and kept India on top of the game throughout with India reaching the 150-run mark in the 27th over.
After a brief spell, where he kept quiet, Manjot again started to get on top of the bowlers — starting with a towering six of the bowling off Lloyd Pope in the 29th over.
Desai supported Manjot perfectly as India built another 50-run stand before the southpaw finally completed his century in the 39th over of the bowling off Sutherland to take India closer to victory after India’s 200 came up in the 36th over with a boundary from Desai.
Desai, who was dropped on 40 by Uppal, finally finished the game off with a boundary in the 39th over to give India the victory. This was also the first time Rahul Dravid lifted a World Cup.
Kalra remained unbeaten on 101 while Desai finished with 47 not out
