But, during the finals, the Indian team looked a class apart where they chased the Australian score of 225 runs with great confidence. Unmukt Chand, the Indian skipper was in sublime form and it was his innings, which practically won the cup for India. He scored an unbeaten 111 runs to end the Aussies dream of winning their fourth U-19 WC trophy. This tournament victory ranks as one of the best Indian U-19 wins as they were facing the mighty Aussies in their hometown, which is not an easy task in any form of the game.

One has to keep in mind that it is for the first time that the U-19 team won the world cup in seaming conditions, which is also known for its pace. The Indian bowlers were consistent throughout the tournament, so they also need a pat on their back for their efforts.

Gaekwad said that Chand is a very talented player and his partnership with Patel helped India win the match. Voices have been raised from several quarters, which maintain that the Indian U-19 skipper needs to be brought into the Indian team. It might be too early as U-19 is a different ball game altogether, but he is a class act. The way he handled the Aussie bowlers playing both aggressively and defensively according to the need of the hour speaks volumes about the player, who is still learning about the game.

This is for the third time that the Indian U-19 team won the World Cup. Gaekwad said, “This is a great sign for Indian cricket.” But deep down there are some questions, which he fails to understand. He says that there are very few cricketers from this level who have represented India. He asked, “Where are we going wrong? The players need to be looked after.” We can only remember a handful number of cricketers, who has gone on to play for India after their success in the U-19 level. Some players who converted their U-19 success to the international scenario are Yuvraj Singh, R. Jadeja and V. Kohli.