Published 17:33 IST, February 3rd 2021
Shubman Gill stars in Prithvi Shaw-led India's U-19 World Cup win on Feb 3, 2018: WATCH
On February 3, 2018, India won the ICC U-19 World Cup for the fourth time. India's Shubman Gill was named as the Player of the Tournament for his heroics.
ICC's U-19 World Cup has proved to be a significant platform for talented youngsters to showcase their skills in front of a wider audience. Under the mentorship of Rahul Dravid, India have performed significantly well in the global tournament in recent years. The Under-19 batch of the country displayed a dominant brand of cricket and helped India clinch their fourth championship. On this day in 2018, the Prithvi Shaw-led team beat Australia comprehensively in the Final.
Shubman Gill's crucial knock helps India trump Australia in U-19 World Cup Final
Rahul Dravid has been instrumental in nurturing several young Indian cricketers over the years, and his stint with the U-19 side back in 2018 is a testament to his remarkable coaching skills. The Indian team played exceptional cricket in the league stage of the tournament, where they won all their group matches comfortably. Prithvi Shaw and co. were firm favourites ahead of the final against Australia.
Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. India boasted of a potent bowling attack, with the likes of Ishan Porel, Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Abhishek Sharma and Anukul Roy in their side. The bowling attack performed brilliantly on the given day and bundled out the batting team to a below-par score of 216. Manjot Kalra was the star with the bat for India, and he scored a marvellous century.
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Manjot Kalra remained unbeaten on 101, whereas Prithvi Shaw (29) and Shubman Gill (31) also chipped in with valuable contributions along with wicketkeeper Harvik Desai (47*). India chased down the total in the 39th over itself. Watch the highlights of the match here -
Shubman Gill also finished as the leading run-scorer of the tournament. The batsman made headlines after he scored four successive half-centuries in the competition. The vice-captain of the team amassed 324 runs in the World Cup, and was also named the Player of the Tournament.
Both Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw a part of the Indian Test squad during the recently concluded India vs Australia 2020 Test matches. While Prithvi Shaw failed to make the most of his chances, and eventually lost his place in the playing eleven after the opening Test match, Shubman Gill received immense appreciation from all corners for his inspirational knocks. The 21-year-old played confidently against the fierce Australian bowling attack and also scored two crucial half-centuries.
Shubman Gill's contribution at the top of the order proved to be monumental for the Indian cricket team, as they registered a historic Test series victory Down Under. The rising cricketer is also a part of the Indian squad for the upcoming India vs England series. The youngster will be keen to capitalize on the momentum that he is carrying into the home series.
Image source: ICC Twitter
Updated 17:33 IST, February 3rd 2021