Unmukt Chand led India
to World Cup glory at Tony Ireland Stadium, his unbeaten century ensuring his
side saved its best batting performance for when it counted most, pulling off
the highest successful chase at this venue to beat defending champions Australia
in the final. Chand, who was ably supported by Baba Aparajith and Smit Patel,
secured India's third Under-19 world title, after triumphs in 2000 and 2008.
Chand and Patel shared
an unbroken 130-run stand for the fifth wicket, after India had slipped from 75
for 1 to 97 for 4. At no stage of the chase did they let the asking rate climb
too much, and several huge hits on the home stretch ensured the target was
achieved in the 48th over. Smit pulling Turner to the midwicket boundary was
the signal for thirteen Indians to sprint to the middle, carrying flags and
piling on to their heroes.
Chand's innings was
the defining performance of the World Cup and he chose the perfect moment to
produce it, outshining his worthy counterpart William Bosisto, whose 87 had
dragged Australia from 38 for 4 towards a competitive score. Bosisto finished
unbeaten for the fifth time in six innings, ending the tournament with an average
of 276. He would have gladly swapped that for a more human figure, though, in
return for not dropping Chand when India needed 49 off 41 balls.
India's manic
celebrations at the finish indicated a release of tremendous pressure that had
built up during the pursuit. They had lost Prashant Chopra early and, in Mark
Steketee's second over, Chand was lucky to survive a close lbw shout. He was on
3 at the time. Like in the semi-final, Chand was a nervy starter, playing and
missing and edging past his stumps. At the other end, however, Baba Aparajith
began to play an array of exquisite drives on the off side, and Chand soon
found his touch too.
When Gurinder Sandhu
was brought into the attack in the ninth over, Chand attacked him right away,
cutting in the air to the backward point boundary and lofting on the up for six
over long-off. The 50 partnership came off 48 balls. Aparajith showed he could
play the short ball too, controlling a hook off Steketee to the fine-leg
boundary. India had been 11 for 1 after four overs. They were 60 for 1 after
ten.
The Chand-Aparajith
partnership had produced 73 when Aparajith was caught on the drive by Turner at
extra cover, two balls after he had driven Sandhu for another sublime four.
Turner made another quick breakthrough, catching Hanuma Vihari off his own
bowling for 4. As Vijay Zol walked in, Chand went up to him, had a chat and
patted him on the back, but he edged to Peirson for 1 off 14balls. India were
suddenly 97 for 4. They would have been five down had Peirson held a tough
chance off Chand in the 19th over, when he was on 38. Patel was let off by
Peirson too, on 2, and he made Australia pay.
Patel was the cool
partner that Chand needed and the two batsmen focused on keeping wickets in
hand for the end game, finding the boundary occasionally but taking singles and
two frequently. The asking rate touched six an over for the first time when
there were 17 left; India needed 102 and they had the batting Powerplay to
come. In the final over of fielding restrictions, Chand heaved Turner for
perhaps the biggest six hit at Tony Ireland Stadium during this tournament. It
nearly went on to the road beyond the midwicket boundary.
The equation had
boiled down to 49 off 41, and then Chand chipped Gregory straight to midwicket,
where Bosisto dropped a sitter. Three balls later, Chand launched Gregory over
the straight boundary, a blow that was bound to have broken Australia. He hit another
six off Gregory, his fifth of six, over cover to bring up his century and
stayed on to finish the job.
India's batsmen came
good after their bowlers had a hot and cold day, their first such performance
in this tournament. India had won the toss for the first time at this venue and
Sandeep struck with his fourth delivery. He bowled an inswinger that Jimmy
Peirson shouldered arms to, hit off stump, and celebrated with the nonchalance
of a man who has made an early wicket a habit. In his second over, Sandeep had
the other opener Cameron Bancroft lbw, reducing Australia to 8 for 2.
The other new-ball
bowler Kamal Passi wasn't as successful. At the end of their first spells,
Sandeep had figures of 5-2-8-2 and Passi 4-0-24-0.
Chand brought on his
offspinner in the 11th over and Aparajith went round the wicket immediately to
the left-hand batsman Kurtis Patterson and bowled him. In the next, Ravikant
drew an edge from Meyrick Buchanan and Australiawere 38 for 4. Bosisto and
Travis Head had to rescue the innings, like they had against England and
Bangladesh.
They had barely got
started when Head, on 5, cut Ravikant to point where Akshdeep Nath dropped a
straightforward chance. He was lucky to survive an lbw appeal from Aparajith on
20 as well and went on to score 37 out of a 65-run stand with Bosisto.
The partnership ended
in a run out, after Harmeet Singh had moved swiftly to his left at point to
intercept a Bosisto cut and threw at the non-striker's end. Head had run a long
way down and was a few inches short when Aparajith broke the stumps even though
he dived desperately. Australia were 103 for 5 in the 30th over and Head
stormed off the field rapidly.
The mix-up did not
fluster Bosisto. He forged a 93-run partnership with the offspinner Ashton
Turner, who was dropped on 2 when he tried to cut Aparajith and gave Smit Patel
a reflex chance. Passi returned for a third spell in the 35th over but his day
did not improve. Bosisto pulled a short ball, it had taken him 71 balls to hit
his first boundary. Bosisto picked up speed, sweeping both spinners and driving
Sandeep for boundaries, to score 59 off his last 50 balls and was a knackered
man as he walked off the field to the applause of his team-mates and the crowd.
Bosisto was applauded
later, too, when he picked up the Player of the Tournament award. However, it
was his counterpart, Chand, who had won the day and the World Cup for India.
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