An unbeaten century by skipper Unmukt Chand (111), helped India Under-19 team beat Australia by six wickets in the final of the World Cup at the Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville, Queensland, on Sunday, said a report in The Indian Express.
Australia, the defending champions were reeling at 38 for four but recovered well thanks to skipper William Bosisito’s unbeaten 87, and post 225 for eight but Unmukt topped that effort by combining with Baba Aparajith in a 73-run stand for the second wicket and was then involved in a match-winning 130-run stand for the fifth wicket with Smit Patel, who finished on 62 not out, to help India win with 14 balls to spare. India were 97 for 4 when Chand and Patel got together.
Medium pacer Sandeep Sharma was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 54 after India elected to field.
It was the second time in four months that the Indian Under-19 team had beaten their Australian counterparts. In the final of the quadrangular tournament in April, also in Townsville, Chand had made an unbeaten 112 to lead India to a seven-wicket victory.
A report in The Hindustan Times writes that three days ago, Unmukt Chand's BBM status read, "I can feel the Cup in my hands." Seventy-two hours later, the 19-year-old and his teammates were indeed holding the U-19 cricket World Cup firmly in their hands.
The young guns came out all blazing on Sunday in coastal Australian town of Townsville to beat hosts and holders Australia by six wickets, powered by skipper Chand's unbeaten 111 in a tense final on a bouncy pitch.
Sent into bat, they were suffering at one point and were down four wickets with only 38 runs on the board but then Australian skipper William
Bosisto played a gritty knock of 87 to help post a target of 226.
Chand was named the man of the match.
This is India’s third World Cup triumph after 2000 and 2008.