India keen to get the job done in second game against Australia

The India under-19 team has enjoyed a near-perfect couple of weeks, defeating Australia u-19 in three one-day games and a four-day ‘Test’ in Rajkot.

The developmental tour will conclude with the second and final multi-day match, starting at the Narendra Modi Stadium Ground ‘A’ here on Monday.

The hosts have had multiple performers across the multi-format series, with Lakshya Raichandani and Yashbardhan Chauhan leading from the front.

Lakshya, in particular, has had a memorable time. In the previous game, the 17-year-old opener put himself in the record books with 240, the second-highest score by an Indian in youth Tests. His double century helped India post a mammoth 494 and beat Australia by an innings and 48 runs.

Yashbardhan, having scored a half-century, doubled his impact with off-spin. He partnered left-arm slow bowler Ishan Om and kept Australia under pressure. Mohit Ulva, meanwhile, has emerged as a pacer to watch out for.

For Australia, Blake Cattle has been the standout with the bat, scoring centuries in both innings of the previous ‘Test’. Zed Hollick also carried his form into the longer format but could not convert his half-century into a substantial score.

That has largely summed up Australia’s tour so far: promising individual performances that have not sustained for long enough. The final game, therefore, offers another opportunity for the visiting youngsters to build on those flashes of brilliance.

For India, the task would be simple: finish the job well.