Tanmay Baloda’s record 14-wicket haul powers India U-19 to 2-0 series sweep over Australia

Tanmay Baloda tore through Australia U-19’s batting line-up. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI

Tanmay Baloda recorded the best-ever match figures in a Youth Test as India Under-19 registered a dominant 10-wicket win over Australia U-19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

The host bowled out the visitor for 151, with Baloda finishing with 8/41 to take his match haul to 14/73. With a mere 11-run target, Lakshya Raichandani sent the first two balls of the chase to the fence as India U-19 finished the game inside the first over.

Australia U-19 began the day at 86 for four, 55 runs behind, with Blake Cattle and Zed Hollick as the overnight batters.

The pitch had shown signs of wear and tear in the final session of day two, and Baloda began the third morning with a wicket off his first ball. As has been his modus operandi, Baloda pitched the ball on the stumps and trapped Hollick in front while he was on the defensive. He cleaned up Charlie Henderson in his next over with a quicker one, castling both his off and middle stumps.

Pacer Priyanshu Singh too got one to cut into Jacob Pietz and uproot his off stump before pinning Thomas Vaseo.

Cattle showed immense maturity and farmed the strike with No. 10 Patrick Sullivan at the other end. He was more comfortable against pacers Priyanshu and Mohit Ulva. Skipper Yashbardhan Chauhan kept the field open to prevent Cattle from targeting the fence, forcing him to take singles.

Sullivan supported him well for a while, but Baloda eventually had him caught at first slip.

Cattle came down the track and sent Ayaan Akram’s delivery over long-off to reach his half-century. He then cleared his legs to clear the long-on boundary, taking Australia past India’s lead.

Cattle was eventually bowled while trying to take on Baloda, who completed a stunning U-19 debut match for himself and his team as India U-19 swept the multi-day series 2-0.