U19 WC: Oz skipper Sangha praises Indian performance

Dejected after an eight-wicket thrashing by India in the final of the ICC U19 World Cup here on Saturday, Australian captain Jason Sangha heaped praise on his rivals, admitting that they deserved to be champions on the day.

This was the second time that the Indians had defeated the Australians in this tournament. The Boys in Blue had earlier mauled the Aussies by 100 runs in a group stage match.

"They outplayed us. Full credit to India. They played very well. Good for their supporters who came out today. Best of luck to the guys for the IPL," Sangha told the media after the final.

Electing to bat first, Australia were dismissed for a modest total of 216 runs in 47.2 overs. Ishan Porel, Shiva Singh and Anukul Roy picked up two wickets each for India.

Opener Manjot Kalra then spearheaded the Indian run chase with an unbeaten century as the Boys in Blue romped to victory with 67 balls to spare.

Kalra remained unbeaten on 101 runs off 102 deliveries while Harvik Desai was not out on 47 at the other end.

Despite being outplayed in the final, Sangha asserted that he was proud of the way the Australians performed throughout the tournament.

"I really don't know what to say at the moment but I'm so proud of the guys. We've grown and grown as cricketers. Hopefully, we can go back home and learn from these mistakes.

"The guys played really well and did what I asked them to do. And to work with the support staff and guys with international experience was great for us kids. We've enjoyed our time in New Zealand," Sangha said.

"The best thing about today was the guys really tried to grind it in. As captain, you can't really complain when they're giving 110 percent with bat and ball, but credit to India," he added.

"Thank you to the crowd today as well. It as fantastic to see them come today. Thanks everyone, and congratulations India."

--IANS

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