Abhigyan Kundu’s unbeaten 87* and Vedant Trivedi’s solid 61* steer India to 1-0 lead in Youth ODI series
India’s U19 team began their Australia tour in style, defeating the hosts by seven wickets in the first unofficial Youth ODI at the Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane, on Sunday. Chasing 226 for victory, India made light work of the target, finishing at 227/3 in just 30.3 overs, thanks to a brilliant unbeaten partnership between Abhigyan Kundu and Vedant Trivedi.
Early wobble for India
India’s chase started on a shaky note as skipper Ayush Mhatre (6) and vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra (9) fell cheaply. Young opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who has been grabbing headlines for his fearless batting, played a quickfire knock of 38 off 22 balls, smashing seven fours and a six before being dismissed.
At 3 down before reaching 100, India looked under slight pressure, but the middle order ensured there were no further hiccups.
Kundu and Trivedi seal the deal
Wicketkeeper-batter Abhigyan Kundu and middle-order batter Vedant Trivedi steadied the innings with a composed yet aggressive stand.
- Kundu: 87* off 74 balls (8 fours, 5 sixes)
- Trivedi: 61* off 69 balls (8 fours)
The duo’s partnership took the game away from Australia as India cruised to victory with 19.3 overs to spare.
Australia’s innings anchored by John James
Earlier, Australia U19 posted 225/9 in 50 overs, with John James top-scoring with a fighting 77 off 68 balls*, including nine boundaries. The innings was built around his knock after early setbacks left Australia struggling.
For India, the bowlers shared the spoils:
- Henil Patel: 3/38
- Kishan Kumar: 2/59
- Kanishk Chouhan: 2 wickets
The Suryavanshi buzz
14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi once again stole the spotlight despite not converting his start into a big score. His fearless strokeplay at the top of the order — reminiscent of his exploits in the IPL and junior cricket — continues to make him a fan-favourite. Clips of his aggressive 38 flooded social media, with many hailing him as a future star for India.
With the victory, India U19 have taken a 1-0 lead in the Youth ODI series. The focus will now shift to the second match, where the young Aussies will look to bounce back, while India aim to continue their dominant run.