'I knew it was a matter of one partnership and....' - India U/19 captain Uday Saharan reflects on spectacular run chase in semi final against South Africa

India secured their spot in the U19 World Cup final for the fifth time in a row and the ninth time overall with a thrilling two-wicket victory over South Africa in the 2024 tournament's semi-final. Despite South Africa's posting of 244 runs, India faced early setbacks, finding themselves at 8 for 2 initially and worsening to 32 for 4.

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But then it was resilient Indian captain Uday Saharan strode out to bat, his sole focus was to anchor the innings and guide his team to victory. His partnership worth 171 runs with Sachin Dhas proved crucial in securing India's place in the final. Saharan contributed 81 runs from 124 deliveries, while Dhas scored 96 runs from 95 balls. Their remarkable partnership led India to a thrilling two-wicket win, ensuring their qualification for yet another U19 World Cup final. Reflecting on his performance, Saharan expressed his confidence in delivering the win for his team.

"There was nothing going on in my mind; I had the belief in myself. My only thought was that I would play till the end. I knew it was a matter of one partnership and the match would be ours. So I was just telling myself again and again that I had to take it deep,” Saharan was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

He also used to play in the same manner: Uday Saharan

The Indian skipper has been in phenomenal run in this competition so far, as he is also the leading run scorer in the ongoing Under 19 World Cup 2024. The prolific right hand batter has scored 389 runs in the tournament so far at and average of 64.83 with one century and three half century scores to his name. Following his innings, Saharan was questioned about his restrained approach, having hit only six boundaries. The 19-year-old attributed this patience to his father, from whom he learned the importance of staying at the crease and playing deep into the innings.

"He also used to play in the same manner, taking it deep, so I tried to do the same. I knew I could play the big shots at the end if required. I knew as long as I was at the crease, the game was ours,” Saharan said.