In a thrilling second unofficial Test against England, India U19 captain Ayush Mhatre nearly led his side to an unforgettable victory, smashing a quickfire 126 runs off just 80 balls. His performance not only brought his team close to victory but also etched his name in the record books.
Mhatre’s Record-Breaking Century
Set a challenging target of 335 runs on the final day, India’s chase was a bold one, starting from the very first ball. However, it got off to a shaky start when opening batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi was dismissed for a golden duck off the first ball faced from Alex Green.
Mhatre, however, took control of the innings with a blistering century off just 64 balls, hitting 13 fours and 6 sixes in his explosive knock. This achievement marked Mhatre as the third-fastest to score a Youth Test century. His remarkable 126 runs made him the second batter, after New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum, to score over 200 runs in a Youth Test with a strike rate exceeding 100. Mhatre’s strike rate of 121.17 surpassed McCullum’s 108.41, which had been set in a Youth Test against South Africa in 2001.
Breaking Records and Setting New Benchmarks
Mhatre also set a new record for the most sixes hit in a Youth Test, smashing a total of nine sixes, breaking the previous record held by Manoj Tiwary. Tiwary had also scored a century in the first unofficial Test between India and England.
India U19 Falls Just Short in the Chase
India’s chase looked promising when they reached 217/2 in the 28th over, but a sudden collapse saw the team lose four wickets for just 46 runs. Harvansh Pangalia and Kanishk Chouhan then held their ground, playing out the remaining overs. The match ended with India finishing at 290/6 in 43 overs.
Despite the spirited effort, the game ended in a draw, with both unofficial Tests between India and England concluding without a result. Earlier, India U19 had clinched the ODI series 3-2, with Suryavanshi emerging as the top performer, scoring 355 runs in five matches, including a stunning 143-run knock in the fourth ODI.
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