India beat Australia by 7 runs in U-19 ODI as final over yields just 3 runs
India defended 11 runs in the last over to beat Australia and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match Under-19 ODI series.
India's Under-19 cricket team won a thrilling contest against Australia's Under-19 side in the first match of their one-day series. India won by 7 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The most dramatic moment came in the final over, when Indian bowlers defended 11 runs and restricted Australia to just 3 runs.
Batting first after losing the toss, India made 182 for 6 in 20 overs. Rain reduced the match from 50 overs to 20 overs a side, forcing both teams to adjust their approach. In reply, Australia could manage only 175 for 7 and lost the match by 7 runs.
The sons of Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid both played in the match. Sehwag's son Aaryavir opened the batting for India. He faced 26 balls and was dismissed for 28 runs, hitting five fours. Dravid's son Anvay Dravid came in to bat at number six. He played a quick and useful innings of 38 runs off just 18 balls, hitting two fours and three sixes, with a strike rate of 211. Both Aaryavir and Anvay remain talking points in the cricket world and are building their own identity through their performances, alongside their fathers' names. Their game is now being discussed not just locally but at the state level too.
However, the best performance in the match came from all-rounder Yashwardhan Chauhan, who scored a half-century and also took two wickets. Yashwardhan top-scored for India with 54 runs, hitting five fours and two sixes in his 34-ball innings. Along with Anvay, he added 69 runs for the fifth wicket, an innings that played a key role in steadying India after the team had slipped to 88 for 4 in 12 overs. Off-spinner Ellie Brain was Australia's most successful bowler, taking 2 wickets for 29 runs in 4 overs.
Chasing a target of 183, Australia made a brilliant start. Three of the team's top four batters scored 40 or more runs. Captain Jack Josanek made 55 runs off 27 balls, hitting 6 fours and 3 sixes. Australia needed 24 runs off the last 11 balls to win. Josanek hit three fours in a row to complete his fifty off 25 balls, but was out on the very next ball. Australia needed 11 runs to win in the final over, but fast bowler Mohit Ulva conceded just 3 runs to seal India's win.
