Australia’s skipper, Hugh Weibgen, is eager for his team to confront the formidable challenge posed by reigning champions India in the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Final scheduled for Sunday. The Australians secured their berth in the tournament’s culmination with a nail-biting one-wicket victory over a resilient Pakistan in Benoni on Thursday.
Now, with a two-day break before the showdown against the five-time U19 World Cup winners, Weibgen and his squad have a window to fine-tune their preparations. This impending final marks the third consecutive ICC event where Australia and India clash in the ultimate encounter. The previous encounters in the ICC World Test Championship Final and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Final yielded riveting contests, setting the stage for another thrilling showdown.
Hugh Weibgen said: “India are a class team, they’ll come out and compete really hard – we’ll love that challenge, we’ll love that fight and we are really looking forward to it. We had full faith in Vids (Vidler) and Raf to get the job done,” Weibgen admitted. “There was quite a bit of emotion in the dressing room. I was quite tense and excited too. I still don’t know what really happened, but it was awesome.”
Acknowledging the formidable nature of the task at hand, Weibgen understands the uphill battle his team faces against India. However, he exudes confidence in the character and readiness of his squad to rise to the occasion.
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Australia boasts a rich history in the U19 World Cup, having clinched the title thrice, with their latest triumph dating back to 2010. In that memorable final in New Zealand, a young Mitch Marsh-led side emerged victorious with a 25-run win over Pakistan.
Weibgen pins hopes on another stellar performance from his fast bowlers, particularly eyeing a repeat of the heroics displayed by Tom Straker in the semi-final clash against Pakistan. Straker’s exceptional spell, yielding figures of 6/24, shattered records and played a pivotal role in restricting Pakistan to a modest total of 179.
While Australia appeared to be cruising towards victory during their chase, a flurry of wickets courtesy of Pakistan’s quality quicks tilted the momentum. It was left to Raf MacMillan and Callum Vidler to navigate the tense final moments, ultimately securing Australia’s place in the final with a boundary off the first ball of the last over, much to the dismay of Pakistan.
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