Ojha's century, fifties from Yashbardhan and Manal rescue India U-19 on day one
Colombo, July 20
An unbeaten century from Kushagra Ojha, along with half-centuries from skipper Yashbardhan Chauhan and Manal Chauhan, helped India Under-19 recover from a disastrous start to reach a commanding 253/3 in 85 overs against Sri Lanka Under-19 on the opening day of the second Youth Test here on Monday.
Electing to bowl first, Sri Lanka Under-19 enjoyed early success by reducing the visitors to a precarious 0/2 within the first six overs. New-ball bowlers Sethmika Seneviratne and Gimhan Mendis removed Indian openers Lakshya Raichandani and Sagar Virk respectively, without troubling the scorers.
But a 122-run third-wicket partnership between Ojha and skipper Yashbardhan rescued the visitors from the early jitters. Only 65 overs of play was possible on day one due to interruptions caused by rain and subsequent bad light.
At stumps, Ojha was unbeaten on a well-compiled 103, while Manal remained unconquered on 55, as the duo stitched an unbroken 131-run stand for the fourth wicket to put India U19 in the driver's seat.
Earlier, India got their first runs off the bat only in the eighth over when Yashbardhan got off the mark. While Ojha anchored the innings with a patient approach, the skipper took the counter-attacking route, reaching his half-century off just 51 balls in the 21st over.
Yashbardhan was eventually dismissed by Gimhan at the stroke of the 30th over for a brisk 89-ball 78, laced with 11 boundaries and two sixes. Following his dismissal, Manal joined forces with Ojha, who reached his fifty off 101 deliveries in the 42nd over, before both batters accelerated to plunder 99 runs off the final 20 overs of the day's play. Play was called off for the day after Ojha reached his century.
Brief Scores: India Under-19 253/3 in 65 overs (Kushagra Ojha 103 not out, Yashbardhan Chauhan 78; Gimhan Mendis 2-42, Sethmika Seneviratne 1-46) against Sri Lanka Under-19
— IANS
Reader Comments
Impressive fightback but I'm worried about the openers. Lakshya and Sagar both out for zero - that's not a good sign. We need to work on our top order. Senior team also has similar issues sometimes. Hope the bowlers can back this up tomorrow.
Yashbardhan's counter-attacking 78 off 51 balls after the early collapse was exactly what the team needed! And then Manal supporting Ojha so well... This is proper Test match temperament from our U-19 boys. Proud moment for Indian cricket fans! 👏
Good recovery from the young Indians. Only 65 overs possible due to rain though - that's frustrating for both teams. Ojha's unbeaten century is a special knock. Sri Lankan bowlers will need to come back strongly on day two.
Love how these young guns are handling pressure! From 0/2 to 253/3 - that's the spirit of Indian cricket. Also noticed they scored 99 runs in the last 20 overs, showing they can accelerate when needed. Well played, boys! 🏏
Impressive from Ojha and the skipper, but I think the selectors should look at why our openers keep failing. This has become a pattern even in senior cricket. We need to develop proper opening partnerships at all levels. Still, great recovery today!
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