India faced disappointment once again in a cricket World Cup final as they lost to Australia in the final of the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2024 in Benoni, South Africa on Sunday.
Choosing to bat first, Australia set a challenging target of 253 for 7, led by Oliver Peake’s dynamic 46 off 43 balls and Harjas Singh’s steady 55 off 64 balls.
Despite coming into the final with an unbeaten record, India’s batters were unable to chase down the 254-run target set by the opposition. The team was all out for 174 in 43.5 overs, with opener Adarsh Singh being the top scorer with 47.
The Australian bowlers were able to restrict India’s batters and did not allow them to score freely, resulting in India struggling to recover and ending up with less than 200 runs. With this victory, Australia secured their fourth U19 World Cup title.
This marks the second time within three months that India has lost to Australia in a World Cup final. The Rohit Sharma-led side lost to Aussies in the ODI World Cup final on November 19, 2023.
