Vaibhav Suryavanshi was crestfallen. He could not forgive himself. It took some time for him to drag himself out of the park. The wonderboy of Indian cricket was 14 short of a whirlwind century against England U19 in the third Youth ODI at Northampton. The nine sixes that he hit in just the first 8 overs of the match didn't matter, nor did a strike rate of 277.41. Suryavanshi knew the hundred was there for the taking but it wasn't to be for the attacking left-hander.
The 14-year-old, who made the best of the game watch in awe during a record-breaking IPL season with the Rajasthan Royals, blasted a 31-ball 86 against England U19 on Wednesday. Suryavanshi had scores of 48 and 45 in the previous two Youth ODIs against the same opposition. His strike rate was 252 and 132. Clearly, hitting boundaries and scoring runs quickly was not the problem. All he needed was a big score.
Chasing 269 for victory, Vaibhav Suryavanshi walked out to open the batting with Abhigyan Kundu. It took Vaibhav Suryavanshi just three balls to hit the first boundary of the day. He hit another before the second over ended. The real carnage started from the third over.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi puts England U19 bowlers to the sword
Vaibhav blasted Sebastian Morgan for two sixes to announce his intentions. In the next over, he lost his opening partner, Abhigyan Kundu, for 12 but made no changes to his attacking style. Morgan continued to be in the firing line as Suryavanshi hit him for two more sixes and a four in the fifth over of the Indian innings.
{{/usCountry}}Vaibhav blasted Sebastian Morgan for two sixes to announce his intentions. In the next over, he lost his opening partner, Abhigyan Kundu, for 12 but made no changes to his attacking style. Morgan continued to be in the firing line as Suryavanshi hit him for two more sixes and a four in the fifth over of the Indian innings.
{{/usCountry}}England U19's another new-ball bowler, James Minto, wasn't spared. Suryavanshi hammered for three sixes and a four in the sixth over and in the process, brought up his half-century off just 20 balls.
England made a bowling change by bringing in Ralphie Albert, but he, too, received the same treatment from India's dashing opener Vaibhav Suryavnashi. 14 runs came from his first over, including a six from Suryavanshi's bat.
There was another bowling change from the other end. This time, right-arm medium pacer Alexander Wade came into the attack. He was welcomed into the attack with a boundary by India's No.3 Vihaan Malhotra but the fun began when he took a single to give the strike to Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
The 14-year-old baby-faced cricketer hit two fours and a six off the first three balls he faced off Wade. The right-armer then tested Vaibhav Suryavanshi with a bouncer. The left-hander went for the hook but didn't get the desired and was holed out in the deep.
There was no stopping the England U19 cricketers. They knew what a big wicket that was, as another half an hour of Suryavnashi would have more or less sealed their fate in the match.