After 23 years, Vaibhav reminded Ponting, two best innings of the final

New Delhi. Six consecutive finals and a strong win of 100 runs. If any concrete evidence was needed of the current strength of Indian cricket, then the Under-19 World Cup final provided it in full. Vaibhav Suryavanshi set the stage by playing the most memorable innings of his life and his teammates ensured that no miracle could happen despite England’s initial fighting efforts. This innings of Vaibhav sent many cricket pundits into flashbacks.

Vaibhav’s innings refreshed the memories of Ricky Ponting’s innings in the 2003 World Cup. Indian captain Sourav Ganguly still remembers that innings and often mentions it. Ponting had shocked the Indian team in that innings. Because of which Australia became world champion by winning the one-sided match.

Ponting played an innings like Vaibhav Suryavanshi 23 years ago

This innings of Vaibhav Suryavanshi was exactly like Ricky Ponting’s, reminiscent of the 2003 final. In that match too, Ponting batted first and played an unbeaten inning of 140 runs in 121 balls. After 23 years, Vaibhav was also batting as if out of passion. One thing was common in both the innings and that was to destroy the opponent. After scoring 68 runs on 33 balls in the semi-finals, this performance in the final was truly extraordinary. In the past, questions have been raised about his temperament and patience, but it seems that he has learned from the experiences against Pakistan in the Asia Cup and this World Cup. It was a visible and impressive innings in the final.

With a strike-rate above 200, Vaibhav ensured that India remained completely dominant till the break. There came an over when he broke the mental strength of the English bowling attack and hit several sixes on both sides of the wicket. The bowler looked frustrated and from there the course of the match was decided. Vaibhav was winning the mental battle not only for India but also for himself. Ravichandran Ashwin tweeted that it probably won’t be long before Vaibhav knocks on the door of the national team and leaves his mark at the senior level.

Mahatre’s leadership

Mention of Ayush Mhatre is also important because Ayush played a brilliant role as captain. He played the best bowler of the tournament intelligently, allowing Vaibhav to attack freely and take an early lead. Ayush left a clear mark as a captain by playing an important innings in the final and taking wickets at crucial moments. Now that all eyes are on the Men’s T20 World Cup, it is the right time to stop and think about how strong the foundation of Indian cricket is at the moment. The BCCI and the coaching staff deserve credit for this in both the men’s and women’s set-ups.
Ultimately, the fact that India can field players like Vaibhav and Yashasvi Jaiswal on the bench reflects this depth and strength. Any opponent would do anything to get him in their first eleven. For now, it is time to celebrate Vaibhav and the entire team and also to prepare for the title defense of Suryakumar Yadav and his team. At least for a day, all the noisy talks related to Pakistan can be kept behind.