India’s 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi narrowly missed out on a half-century but played an entertaining knock that allowed the tourists to chase down England’s lowly total in 24 overs in their first Under-19 one-day international on Friday.
Chasing 175 for victory, Suryavanshi opened the batting for India and immediately made an impact as he smashed 48 runs in just 19 deliveries as India cruised to a six-wicket victory to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match ODI series.
England had limped to 174 in 42.2 overs after Rocky Flintoff, son of England great Andrew Flintoff, crafted a patient 56 from 90 deliveries but his disciplined knock was quickly overshadowed by Suryavanshi’s fireworks.
In his debut season in the Indian Premier League, Suryavanshi had justified the hype around him by scoring 252 runs in seven matches, including a century which made him the youngest player to score a hundred in men’s Twenty20 cricket.
The 14-year-old prodigy only burgeoned his reputation as he relied on his IPL experience, smashing three fours and five sixes at Hove, where India were going at nearly 10 runs an over.
He scored 21 runs in the sixth over from Jack Home when the Indian teenager cleared the ropes three times before he went after James Minto, with both bowlers immediately taken out of the attack.
Suryavanshi eventually fell to spinner Ralphie Albert when he skied an effort to point, but he had laid the foundation for the chase before Abhigyan Kundu (45 not out) guided India over the line.
