2024-09-26 15:22:24
Puducherry: The Indian Under-19 players showed restraint in the last overs and swept the series 3-0 with a seven-run win over Australia in the high-scoring third Under-19 ODI on Thursday. The Indian team had won the first ODI by seven wickets and the second ODI by nine wickets. Interestingly, Samit Dravid, son of former India head coach Rahul Dravid, was also a part of this squad, but he did not get a chance to play a single match. India scored 324 runs for eight wickets thanks to half-centuries from opener Rudra Patel (77 runs in 81 balls) and captain Mohammad Aman (71 runs in 72 balls). In the lower order for the team, Hardik Raj contributed 30 runs and Chetan Sharma contributed an unbeaten 18 runs.
In response, the Australian team was also in a good position by scoring 241 runs for two wickets in the 41st over, for which captain Oliver PK (111 runs) and Steven Hogan (104 runs) scored centuries. Both of them shared 180 runs for the third wicket, but the team could only score 317 runs for seven wickets in the stipulated 50 overs.
Left-arm spinner Hardik (3-55) and off-spinner Kiran Chormale (2-59) bowled superbly in the final overs, dismissing the two Australian batsmen settled at the crease along with wicketkeeper Alex Lee Young in quick succession.
This reduced the score of the Australian Under-19 team from 241 runs for two wickets to 267 runs for five wickets. Then the Indian team controlled the run rate and dominated. Aiden O’Connor (35 runs in 20 balls) faced the Indian bowlers bravely, but Bengal fast bowler Yudhjeet Guha (2 wickets for 40 runs) bowled very well in the last over and did not let Australia reach the target.