U19 World Cup 2018 Final, India vs Australia - Who Said What

Heading into the final of the ICC tournament as favourites can be a good thing but has often put too much pressure on teams. Team India walked into the U19 World Cup 2018 final on the back of some dominant performances all the way through in the tournament and on the night of the final they just got better.

If it was Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill who accumulated most of the runs in the first five matches couldn’t convert their start tonight and it was Manjot Kalra who rose to the occasion and scored his first hundred in Youth ODIs in the World Cup final.

The Indian team chasing a mediocre 217 won the match by 8 wickets the biggest margin of victory for a final in the history of the tournament. As soon as Harvik Desai hit the winning runs the entire team including Shaw ran towards the pitch and the celebrated the result of the hard work they’ve put in over the last couple of years.

Before lifting the trophy Indian captain Prithvi Shaw said:

Can’t express what I’m feeling right now, really proud of it. All credit to our support staff for really supporting us for the last two years. Rahul Sir himself is a legend, the Wall we call him. It was a crucial hundred from Manjot. Gill was batting so well. Both pacers, Kamlesh and Mavi, have been executing things so well through the tournament. It’s been wonderful playing matches here.

The Aussies tried everything in their might but the Indian team is much better than any other team that took part in the competition. They’ve played a lot of cricket and were prepared for all the challenges so much so that the actual match situation and pressure couldn’t surprise them.

Australian captain Jason Sangha said:

Don’t know what to say at the moment. Proud of the guys to get this far in the tournament. Full credit to India. They played very well. Best of luck for the guys for the IPL. Best thing about today was guys tried to grind it. As a captain you can’t complain when everyone’s giving 110%. India outplayed us. Good for their supporters who came out today. Full credit to our coaching staff. When you have two guys who have played international cricket, it gives you great insights. Thank you to the crowd that came today. Was fantastic to see them here.

For his amazing batting performance right through the tournament – during which he scored 372 runs in 5 innings, Gill was awarded the Player of the Tournament.

Shubman Gill said: “I am really proud of my team. We were fortunate enough to have Rahul as coach. He was just telling me to express my game and keep it on the ground. Had a good time here. It’s been very exciting for me. Hope to do well in IPL also.”

Man of the Match of the final Manjot Kalra said: “Great feeling. Enjoyed a lot. Conditions were very good. It was a flat wicket to bat on. In the team, it’s been a great environment.”

All-rounder Abhishek Sharma said: “Obviously, we have dreamt of this from last year. We had few plans and we stuck to it. It’s always grateful to be part of this team. I can’t explain the feeling. We’ll celebrate this night – best night of our lives.”

Riyan Parag who also delivered whenever asked for said: “It’s just amazing. I was thinking I wouldn’t bat and I proved myself right. Just wanted Manjot to get to his century. I thought it’d be a tough match. It was tough, but we made it look easy. It (pitch) was good for batsmen as well as the bowlers.”

Ishan Porel was also one of the key performers for India, after the win, he said: “I’m feeling on top of the world. Credit goes to support staff and team. A competitive effort. Got lots of messages from India. Unfortunate not to reply. Thanks to all of them. I can only say that our bowlers have been fantastic all through the tournament. It’s a team effort.”