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Australia recorded a thrilling one-wicket victory over a resilient Pakistan in the U19 World Cup semi-final on Friday, boosted by Tom Straker’s impressive six-wicket haul and Harry Dixon’s solid fifty. The win sets the stage for an intense final showdown against defending champions India in Benoni.
The title clash will be a rematch of last year’s Senior Men’s ODI World Cup, when Australia defeated India in Ahmedabad to clinch a sixth title. The Australians had caused double pain to the Indian team in 2023, having also beaten Rohit Sharma’s men in the World Test Championship final.
However, for India U19 captain Uday Saharan, revenge is not on his mind; The young man believes that his team will only focus on his own game and will not worry too much about the past.
“I’m not thinking about any of that,” Saharan said, quoted by PTI.
“We are focusing on our game and we have to give our best. We are playing according to the conditions of the game. “Every game is important because it is the World Cup and all the teams are good.”
India, the current champion, has maintained an impeccable record in the tournament, emerging victorious in all the matches it has played in this edition. They achieved emphatic victories by significant margins throughout the tournament, facing minimal challenges until their narrow two-wicket triumph over hosts South Africa in the semi-finals.
“I want to repeat history by winning the U-19 World Cup”: India captain Uday Saharan
“It is a dream for all of us to win this tournament. Each of us has only one U-19 World Cup and we want to repeat history. We also want to register our names in history. We are focused on giving our best.” Saharan said.
“I would like to tell the countrymen to continue supporting us like this. “We promise to give everything to recover the Cup.”
Many stalwarts of the senior team have emerged from the U-19 World Cup, such as Mohammad Kaif, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja.
Saharan rejected comparisons with these stars and said he will not accept the pressure of legacy.
“I never think about that. I don’t think about the past. “I just think about how I can do my best for the team and how to get the best out of the team.”