Indian youth skipper Ayush Mhatre shone in the 355-run chase, hammering the fastest youth century in just 64 balls to lead his team to a hard-fought draw in the 2nd Test of the England youth series.
The 18-year-old, who had an average outing in the ODI series, regained his form in the longer format, scoring back-to-back centuries across the two Tests. Despite the tough conditions, he stood out as the top scorer of the series with one fifty and two centuries.
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Ayush Mhatre’s 64-Ball Century Leads Gritty Chase Before Bad Light Ends Play
Chasing 355 runs, Ayush saw his partner, 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, dismissed for a golden duck. Unfazed, Ayush remained committed to the chase. He built a crucial 100-run partnership with Vihaan Malhotra that set the tone.Â
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Ayush reached his century in just 64 balls before eventually being dismissed. His valiant effort, combined with resilience from India’s middle order, brought the team within striking distance, needing just 65 more runs to win with 22 overs and four wickets in hand when bad light stopped play. Ayush Mhatre’s 126 (80) included 13 fours and 6 sixes. Along with his 80 (90) in the first innings, he aggregated 206 runs in the 2nd Test.Â
Over the series, he scored more than 340 runs, leading by example with the bat and impressing experts with his captaincy. His leadership and individual brilliance became the highlight of India’s tour.
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From ODI Heroics to Test Disappointment: Suryavanshi’s Dip in Form
Meanwhile, though the ODI series saw record-breaking performances from Vaibhav Suryavanshi, he couldn’t replicate that form in the longer format. He managed one fifty but scored only 15 runs across the other three innings, including a golden duck, ending the tour on a disappointing note.
Aside from Mhatre and Suryavanshi, players like Vihaan Malhotra and R.S. Ambrish showed consistency across both formats, offering hope for the future. Overall, the tour has been a strong one for India’s youth side, even as they look to build on their performance heading into the next phase of development.
Unfortunately, play was stopped due to bad light with 20 overs remaining. Stay tuned for more updates on the India U19 vs England U19 Test match.
