India suffered a dismal 79-run loss against Australia in the final of the 2024 Under-19 World Cup on Sunday (February 11). It was also the first defeat for India in the tournament, and it unfortunately came in the all-important finale.
Australia batted first in the contest and made 253/7 in 50 overs. Multiple batters like Harjas Singh (55), Hugh Weibgen (48), Harry Dixon (42), and Oliver Peake (46) got starts but could not convert them into big ones, which prevented Australia from reaching a score near 300. Raj Limbani scalped two wickets, while Naman Tiwari picked up two wickets for India in the bowling department.
In response, India lost Arshin Kulkarni's wicket in the 3rd over with just 3 runs on the board. Adarsh Singh (47) and Musheer Khan (22) then put on a sedate 37-run partnership for the second wicket, trying to stabilize the innings.
Mahli Beardman cleaned up Musheer Khan in the 13th over to give the Kangaroo team a massive breakthrough. Things went downhill from there for India as they lost wickets at regular intervals and crumbled under pressure.
Mahli Beardman and Mahli Beardman were the wreakers in chiefs in the middle overs, picking up three wickets apiece for Australia. As a result, India got bundled out for 174 in 43.5 overs.
Fans expressed their reactions by sharing hilarious memes after witnessing yet another disappointing performance from an Indian team in a final match against Australia.
Here are some of the best memes:
"So proud of the boys and our coaches" - Australia U 19 team captain Hugh Weibgen after beating India in the final
At the post-match presentation, Aussie skipper Hugh Weibgen hailed his teammates and coaching staff for a memorable run in the 2024 Under-19 World Cup.
Reflecting on the triumph, he said:
"So proud of the boys and our coaches, couldn't have been prouder. Everyone was open to it (on batting first), the plan was to get a few runs and back ourselves. Harjas is a quality player, full credit to coaches for sticking by him and he repaird their faith today.
He continued:
"India are a class side, they dominated the whole tournament, just ended up on the wrong side. I'm sure these guys will do a lot of great things in their career. They can go so far, as a unit they know their roles so well."
Which player impressed you the most in the 2024 Under 19 World Cup? Let us know in the comments section below.
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