The Indian colts took the one-day series against their English counterparts 3-1 as the fifth and last one-dayer ended in a tie after the hosts lost their final wicket on the last ball of the match at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. But, the Indian boys under the leadership of Rahul Dravid had already won the series 3-1.
Chasing a modest 227, Dravid's boys needed just one run off the final ball with the last pair at the crease, but post a lengthy discussion with partner Heramb Parab, pacer Ishan Porel suffered a bout of nerves at the worst moment possible, as he spooned Liam Patterson White to Max Holden at short midwicket.
It was an inconsequential game as India clinched the series earlier and Dravid made as many as nine changes to the playing XI. England U-19 looked like they would finish the series on a high when India U-19 slipped to 137 for seven in the 33rd over while chasing 227, before tail-enders Ayush Jamwal (40), who had earlier taken three wickets, and Yash Thakur (30) brought their team back into the contest with their fighting 65-run stand for the eighth wicket. However, both were out as India inched closer to the target, as the final moments of the game saw India needing 19 off three overs, then 12 off two and finally, six off one.
Earlier, S Radhakrishnan, playing his first game of the series, scored 65 off 93 balls to rescue India from a precarious 54 for four with a 47-run partnership for the fifth wicket with keeper Het Patel. The England U-19 team did much better this time, with seamer Henry Brookes (3-30) being the most successful of the bowlers. “It is a priceless experience. If they learn from this and if they go on from here, it is something that will hold them in good stead. We had made a lot of changes. A few new guys were in as well. It was really nice for them to get a game like this, we would have liked to have won but a tie is the next best result in that sense. Just the closeness of the game and the way the lower order batted will give them good confidence,” felt Dravid.
In the morning, the Indian bowlers, who won high praise from the batting legend, continued their impressive run, restricting England to 226 for nine in 50 overs. George Bartlett's 47 and then a 55-run stand in 66 balls between wicket-keeper Ollie Pope and Will Jacks followed by a 14-run last over allowed England to put up a respectable score.
