A Tale of Mental Toughness and Learning Curves

The juniors were unable to check the last box, just as their seniors. And that too against Australia's opponents.

The ODI World Cup in India last year was dominated by the Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli duo, who crushed everyone on their path to the championship match and gave the impression that it would only take one more game for the country to win its third 50-over Cup. However, the "gladiators" seemed completely lost while playing the Australians in that final at the Motera in Ahmedabad.


In this U-19 World Cup, South Africa, the hosts, put Uday Saharan and his colleagues to the test as they were sweeping over every opponent. However, Australia destroyed them by 79 runs in the crucial final on Sunday at Willowmoore Park in Benoni to win the U-19 championship, ending India's dominance in the competition and securing the trophy for a record-tying fourth time.

Australia's quicks destroyed India, a scene eerily reminiscent to the ODI Cup final in Ahmedabad last year. The groundwork for Australia's success was laid in Ahmedabad by Mitchell Starc, skipper Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood, who broke the back of India's batting.

On Sunday at Benoni, the Australian pace trio of Callum Vidler, Charlie Anderson, Tom Straker, and Mahli Beardman were crucial in bowling the formidable Indian lineup out for 174 with 37 balls left after the batsmen concentrated on grinding out the not-too-easy batting conditions to register 253/7.

It would be a little unfair, however, to compare young Indian colts with the older professionals who consistently make mistakes in the semi-finals and finals of ICC competitions. Players like Musheer Khan, Sachin Dhas, and captain Saharan have performed well with the bat, remaining composed under duress, throughout this U-19 World Cup.

Alongside left-arm spinner Saumy Pandey, who has taken 18 wickets, second most in the championship, and quicks Raj Limbani and Naman Tiwari had ensured they produced with the ball as well.

To be honest, neither did any of these three Indian bowlers give up much in the championship game on Sunday. Yet, these Australians' mental fortitude consistently comes through, whether they are competing at the senior or junior levels.

Cummins and company had also started slowly in the previous year's 50-over Cup, reached their zenith gradually, and then easily destroyed India in the championship match, deafening the passionate audience in a setting like to an amphitheater. They seemed completely unaffected by a difficult period during the Eden Gardens semi-final matchup with South Africa.

These Australian colts, led by Hugh Weibgen, too almost lost the plot against Pakistan in the semi-final but managed to escape with a wicket in hand. But Weibgen and his teammates also demonstrated that Australians have a history of playing their best in games that matter.

One of the things a final has to do is grind through difficult moments without getting too enthused. In mostly cloudy circumstances at Benoni, Weibgen (48), Harjas Singh (55), opener Harry Dixon (42) and Oliver Peake (46 not out) accomplished just that, with the Indian bowlers also not giving much away.

India's run pursuit wasn't going to be too simple, with the sun appearing only occasionally in the second half. As they focused on the stumps, dug it in short, and restricted the space available to India's batsmen, the Australian quicks made sure it only became harder and harder.

There is every cause for the Indians to be upset. Even more so when the hitters, who had played flawlessly throughout the tournament, struggled in the most important game. Still, the Saharans and Musheers may have a steep learning curve ahead of them.

When they become regulars at the senior level, this might offer them an understanding of the type of mental toughness and determination they need to overcome challenging circumstances.

 Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.