India vs England U19 World Cup Final : Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Epic 175
India vs England U19 World Cup Final The India verses England U19 World cup final became an extraordinary one when 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi played out one of the best inns we have seen at a junior level. Batting without a care in the world yet displaying maturity that belies his years, Sooryavanshi pummelled an extraordinary 175, just falling shy of what would have been the first double-century of this World Cup.
Played on Friday, the final contained all of the drama, brilliance and controversy required from a title decider. England briefly thought they had a way back into the game when they broke through to take the scalp of Sooryavanshi, although they also lost Vihaan Malhotra in quick succession. But by then, the damage was done.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will not forget this innings for a long, long time. He was set for a stupendous double hundred until he fell for 175 — 25 runs short of the mark. Still, cricket experts and commentators were quick to draw parallels to Kapil Dev’s fabled 175 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup, one of the most famous innings in cricket history. India vs England U19 World Cup Final
Sooryavanshi wreaked havoc on the England bowlers. He clobbered 13 sixes and 13 fours in his innings and batted how few people have in a World Cup final. What was even more striking was that he had fallen near halfway into India’s innings and the expectations soared of a 450-plus total.
The young batter completed his century in 55 balls, one of the fastest hundred in an Under-19 World Cup final. England captain Thomas Rew was left shell-shocked behind the stumps as Sooryavanshi reached three figures at a breakneck pace, hitting boundaries to all parts of the ground. India vs England U19 World Cup Final
England did enjoy a moment’s respite after Sooryavanshi was dismissed. There was more controversy over the third umpire’s decision that a fielder had grounded it before he seized control, meaning India’s boundary effort again went unrewarded. Yet even these moments did little to stop India’s control.
Earlier in the innings, India were off to an early blow after they lost Aaron George (9) who was the centurion of last match. He was caught at point by Alex Green. But that early wicket did little to halt India’s sway.
Ayush Mhatre, the captain of India played a crucial supporting role. Before he got out, he entertained the crowd by scoring a brisk 53 on 51 balls. Mhatre and Sooryavanshi stitched a vital 142-run stand for the second wicket which formed the rock of India’s total. India vs England U19 World Cup Final
Stated simply: Sooryavanshi’s was a knock not just of runs but also confidence and skill. To make such a performance for his team in a World Cup final at the tender age of 14 above all illustrates why he is already being tipped as a star in the making of Indian cricket. India vs England U19 World Cup Final
England had no time to wait for a second crack at the Indian batting order by the point when they broke it open further, they were already in great trouble. With India keeping the scoreboard moving and wickets in hand, the final was starting to slip rapidly away from England. India vs England U19 World Cup Final
Playing XIs
India U19:
Aaron George, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ayush Mhatre (c), Vihaan Malhotra, Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan Patel, Henil Patel, Deepesh Devendran
England U19:
Ben Dawkins, Joseph Moores, Ben Mayes, Thomas Rew (c & wk), Caleb Falconer, Ralphie Albert, Farhan Ahmed, Sebastian Morgan, James Minto, Manny Lumsden, Alex Green
With the India vs England U19 World Cup Final match underway, focus is on how well the English outfit react to India’s huge first innings total. Result aside, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 175 had already made its mark on the game of cricket.
So there you have it, the India vs England U19 World Cup Final has seen a once-in-a-generation innings. All guns blazing, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s epic knock hasn’t just dominated the final; it has also lifted the benchmark for youth cricket. A truly special talent has arrived on the world stage.
