“Knew it was about a single partnership.” – India’s remarkable comeback in the U19 World Cup semifinal, led by captain Uday Saharan

After defeating South Africa by two wickets in a thrilling 2024 World Cup semi-final, India advanced to their fifth consecutive and ninth overall U19 World Cup final. India saw that they were in trouble when South Africa posted 244—they were 8 for 2 at one point, and things got worse when they were 32 for 4.

But as resentful Indian captain Uday Saharan strode into the batting pavilion, his sole thought was to bat all the way to the end and ensure victory for his team. India secured their spot in the summit match thanks to the 171-run partnership between Saharan and Sachin Dhas.

India staged a stunning recovery, winning by two wickets and securing a spot in the U19 World Cup final.

The captain hit 81 off 124 deliveries, while Dhas contributed 96 off 95 deliveries. When discussing his performance, Saharan said that he felt confident that he would help his team win.

“I believed in myself; nothing was going on in my head. I just intended to play through to the very end. I was aware that we would win the match with just one partnership. I kept reminding myself that I needed to take it seriously, Saharan said, according to an ESPNcricinfo quote.

Saharan was questioned about the constraint after his knock; however, he only managed six boundaries. The 19-year-old claimed that he learned to take things seriously from his father and that’s how he acquired it. I attempted to play in the same way as him because I saw how seriously he used to take his games. If needed, I knew I could play the big shots at the end. Saharan remarked, “I knew the game was ours as long as I was at the crease.”