Sports News : The second Youth Test match between India U19 and England U19 ended in a draw on Wednesday in Chelmsford, bringing the two-match series to a 1-1 tie. Despite Ben Dawkins’ brilliant century and Ralphie Albert’s 10-wicket haul across both innings, India’s Ayush Mhatre stole the spotlight with a blistering second-innings hundred that denied England a series win.
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England batted first and posted 309 in their first innings. Ekansh Singh top-scored with 117 runs, while Thomas Reu supported with 59. For India, Pushpak was the pick of the bowlers with 4 wickets for 76 runs.
In response, India scored 279 in their first innings. Vihan Malhotra smashed a composed 120, and Ayush Mhatre contributed 80 runs. England’s Ralphie Albert delivered a lethal bowling performance, claiming 6 wickets for 53 runs.
England came out aggressively in their second innings, declaring at 324/5. Kent opener Ben Dawkins led the charge with a commanding 136, while Adam Thomas added 91. Aditya Rawat took 4 wickets for India in the second innings.
Chasing a daunting target of 355, India had a shaky start when 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryawanshi was bowled in the very first over. But Ayush Mhatre turned the game around with a sensational knock, scoring 126 runs off just 64 balls. He completed his half-century in only 25 balls and reached his century in 64 deliveries. His attacking approach put England on the backfoot.
Abhigyan Kundu also played a vital role with 65 runs, including two big sixes that kept the run rate alive. However, after the dismissals of Mhatre, Kundu, and Rahul Kumar in quick succession, England briefly regained hope of forcing a result.
But the Indian lower order showed resilience and held the innings together. With India at 290/6, rain interrupted the game, and match officials declared the match a draw.
Brief Score Summary:
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England 1st Innings: 309 (Ekansh Singh 117, Reu 59, Pushpak 4/76)
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India 1st Innings: 279 (Malhotra 120, Mhatre 80, Albert 6/53)
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England 2nd Innings: 324/5 declared (Dawkins 136, Thomas 91, Rawat 4/80)
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India 2nd Innings: 290/6 (Mhatre 126, Kundu 65, Albert 4/76)
The series ended in a 1-1 draw with impressive performances from both sides, especially Ayush Mhatre whose fearless century became the highlight of the match.
