New Delhi [India], Feb 5: The Indian players have effectively written themselves the perfect swansong. Thanks to a BCCI ruling in 2016, no player shall play more than one Under-19 World Cup. So in the retirement town of Mt Maunganui, Prithvi Shaw and his team have retired from Under-19 cricket in the best way possible.

Shubman Gill finished the tournament as the highest run-getter in top half of the tournament, with 372 runs, and the Player of the Series award. It underlined perhaps the most dominant performance by an Indian team in an Under-19 World Cup. Australia were not just beaten, they were outclassed.  

“We had not played Australia before that. We had played England, and we had played the Asia Cup. So when we beat Australia in the first match, that was when we knew we could do it. Yes, this is the last match at this level,” said Shaw. “But there are a lot of memories that stand out. I can’t express what I’m feeling right now after winning this World Cup. A lot of things have happened, and I’m very happy.”

The belief was apparent. Even when Australia put up a 75-run partnership in the middle overs and threatened to go past 250, India never seemed ruffled. Sure enough, Australia folded for 216, which India duly knocked off to register an eight-wicket win.