Australia Under-19 cricket team in India in 2005-06

The Australia Under-19 cricket team are touring India for five youth One Day Internationals against the home nation's under-19 side. Australia's team are made up of people entirely without first class experience, while several Indian players are already breaking through into domestic cricket. Australia Under-19 will be looking to repair the poor showing in the subcontinent at the Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2004, where they finished out of the top eight and lost to Bangladesh Under-19 in the Plate final. India finished third at that tournament, losing to Pakistan Under-19. However, both teams have seen a major change since then, and only Australian Moises Henriques are left from either side.

Squads

Schedule

Match details

First U-19 ODI: India v Australia 18 September

India Under-19s won by two wickets

Despite 85 not out and one for 18 from Moises Henriques, Australia Under-19 went 0–1 down in their 5-ODI series with India Under-19, in a match that was played under full ODI rules, including the recently introduced substitute rule and the power play rules. Australia batted first, and lost both openers, Graeme Skennar and Usman Khawaja, within the space of 14 balls for only four runs. Aaron Finch and Tom Stray added 68 for the third wicket, but Abu Nachim Ahmed removed them both, and Australia crashed to 95 for 5. However, Henriques and Ben Gledhill lifted the tourists to a competitive 214 for 6, and Henriques then removed 15-year-old Ali Murtaza for 2. India Under-19 were struggling at 49 for 3, but 62 from Ravikant Shukla and 10 no-balls and 15 wides conceded by Australia gave them control of the match again, and they won by two wickets despite three for 31 from Patrick Darwen. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Second U-19 ODI: India v Australia 21 September

Australia Under-19s won by six wickets

Australia Under-19 levelled the series in the second match, as their bowlers did a better job of containing India, limiting them to 230 after Australian captain Usman Khawaja put them in to bat. Australia got a wicket in the third over, as Chris Thompson dismissed Ali Murtaza for 1, but three wides and three no-balls saw him taken off after four overs, substituted for Jack McNamara. India lost wickets regularly, but kept up a good run rate until Piyush Chawla was caught and bowled off Patrick Darwen for the top score of the innings, with 55. The next partnership yielded only 31 runs from 7 overs, before Jackson Bird ran through them and had three people caught off his bowling. India Under-19s closed on 230 all out, and Australia didn't waste any time chasing it. Their openers, Graeme Skennar and Tom Cooper, took 68 balls to get the 100 partnership up, and added a further 18 before Skennar was caught and bowled by Chawla for 64 - including seven fours and four sixes. Aaron Finch and Tom Cooper slowed down a little, before both were dismissed within six balls with no one adding to the score in the meantime, but 42 from Moises Henriques calmed the nerves and eventually Australia cruised to the target with 15 overs to spare. (Cricinfo scorecard)

References

• Jack McNamara Picked in Aust. U19 Squad to tour India from Camberwell Magpies Cricket Club, retrieved 20 September 2005
• Indian Cricket Squad Announced from Yahoo Sports India, published 5 September 2005, retrieved 20 September 2005.
• UP Lad Shukla to Lead India U-19 from Rediff.com, retrieved 20 September 2005
• Australia Under-19s in India - Sep 2005 from Cricinfo
• New South Wales Team News from worldwidecricket.com, retrieved 21 September 2005