India U-19 Sets 182 in Truncated T20 Against Australia
RAJKOT — A day that began under a sheet of grey ended in a blaze of strokeplay as India’s Under-19 side rode out hours of rain and uncertainty to hammer 182 for six in a rain-shortened T20 against Australia at the Niranjan Shah Stadium.
What was supposed to be a Youth ODI shrank into a sprint. The mood, though, never dipped.
From washout fears to a 20-over shootout
By late morning, the match looked in serious danger. Steady rain, a soaked 30-yard circle and repeated inspections kept players, parents and officials staring at the covers rather than the middle. The cut-off to start loomed: 1.47 pm, or nothing.
Groundstaff fought the waterlogging; the skies kept threatening to undo their work. Parents of Australian players, many having flown in from overseas, waited through the drizzle. Neel Patel’s father, back in Gujarat with his son now in Australian colours, could only hope there would be some cricket at all.
There was. The rain relented just long enough, the surface dried enough, and what began as a Youth ODI morphed into a 20-over contest. Australia won the toss, but it was India who got first use of a fresh, slightly tacky pitch.
Sehwag surname, same intent
Aaryavir Sehwag and captain Lakshya Raichandani walked out to open, carrying a famous surname and a new responsibility. Kasey Barton started tightly: three dots to Sehwag raised early pressure. Then came the release — a punchy four to get him going, a line that stirred instant nostalgia in the stands.
Sehwag wasted no time after that. By the third over, he had 16 off 14, peppering the off side with three boundaries and setting the tone for a brisk start. India raced to 20 without loss in two overs, 25 in three, and 31 by the end of the fourth, the openers cashing in on anything remotely loose.
Raichandani joined in, finding his first boundary early and ticking along at a run a ball. It wasn’t an all-out assault, but it was smart, calculated aggression — enough to put Australia on the back foot after the long wait.
Australia hit back, India wobble
The PowerPlay platform allowed India a couple of quiet overs, and Will Byrom seized that window. After a “get-away” over with minimal damage, Australia’s seamers tightened their lengths. The pressure began to tell.
First, captain Raichandani departed for 15 off 15, caught off Eli Brain after two crisp fours. That opened the door. Byrom then struck with a key double blow, removing Kushagra Ojha for 16 off 14, turning India’s smooth start into a stuttering middle phase.
From 62 for one after eight overs, India suddenly found themselves 74 for three at the 10-over mark. The tempo had stalled, the ball had softened, and Australia’s bowlers sensed control.
Rajput’s spark, Green’s strike
Arjun Rajput tried to wrench it back. He launched Eli Brian over deep square leg, a clean blow that signalled intent and brought 11 off the over. His cameo — 15 off eight, with a six and a four — threatened to reignite India’s innings.
Spencer Green cut it short. He trapped Rajput in front in the 12th over, a timely strike that left India 89 for four and searching again for a partnership. With half the innings gone and four wickets down, the home side needed someone to change the script.
Two youngsters did.
Dravid and Chauhan light up Rajkot
Anvay Dravid, son of a legendary surname, walked in quietly and got off the mark with a single. There was nothing quiet about what followed.
First came a four off Byrom as Dravid settled his feet. Then the real charge began in the 14th over. Yashbardhan Chauhan took aim at Green and launched him for a six first ball. A single handed the strike to Dravid, who promptly muscled his first six of the day. Chauhan then finished the over with two more fours. Twenty-two runs. Momentum flipped in a heartbeat.
From that point, the Australian attack chased shadows.
Dravid kept climbing through the gears. He cleared the ropes again in the 15th, this time off Eli Brian, adding another maximum to his tally. His 38 off just 18 balls, laced with three sixes and two fours, turned a solid total into a daunting one. Every time Australia thought they had him pinned, he found a way to free his arms.
The pressure finally told in the 18th over. Brain hit back, cleaning Dravid up, but by then the damage was substantial. India had surged to 159 for five, with two overs still to come and Chauhan well set.
Chauhan’s finishing school
Chauhan, who had played the foil early, grew into the finisher. He picked gaps, punished width and never let the rate dip. Boundaries off Barton and Green kept the scoreboard racing, his timing crisp, his intent unmistakable.
The final over summed up his control. He moved to a 34-ball fifty, an innings that blended clean hitting with sharp running, and kept India ahead of the game even as Australia searched for late wickets. He eventually fell in the last over, dismissed for a superb 54 that featured five fours and two sixes, but not before he had dragged India past 180.
Eight runs came off that final over. India closed on 182 for six — a total that looked a distant dream when they were 89 for four and Australia had their tails up.
A target with context
On a day when the match itself seemed in doubt for hours, 182 feels bigger than just a number. It’s a statement from a young Indian batting unit that absorbed the stop-start chaos, rode out early setbacks and still found the composure to finish like seasoned pros.
Australia’s reply will tell us more. Was this a par score on a drying surface, or did Dravid and Chauhan push it beyond reach in that breathless middle-late surge?
