JOIN USIndia sailed into the final of the under-19 tri-nation series after a clinical all-round display saw them post a comfortable seven-wicket win over Australia here on Monday.
Opting to bowl, India restricted Australia to 191 for six in the allotted 50 overs, before chasing down the target in 45.4 overs.
Aamir Gani (3/25) was the most impressive bowler from the Indian side while skipper Vijay Zol (64) and Akhil Herwadkar (60) were the main contributors with the bat at the Marrara Oval.
India have coasted through the tournament unbeaten and seemed untroubled in the hot Darwin conditions, and it was always going to be a difficult task for the Aussies.
Australia’s openers Matthew Short (34) and Tom Leaver (23) got off to a cautious start after being sent in to bat. India’s bowlers, led by Gani, bowled tight spells and capitalised on Australia’s poor start.
Lower-order cameos from Jake Doran (41) and Cam Valente (28) boosted the total, but Australia’s earlier struggle to get the ball past the infield dashed their hopes of posting a defendable target. While India top the table, Australia sit second ahead of third-placed New Zealand due to a superior run rate.