Manjot Kalra guides clinical India to 4th ICC U19 World Cup title

Tauranga (New Zealand), Feb 3 (CRICKETNMORE) - Promising opener Manjot Kalra's unbeaten 101 guided India to their fourth ICC Under 19 World Cup triumph, as the boys-in-blue beat Australia by eight wickets in the summit clash at the Bay Oval

Australia lost their three top batsmen with just 59 runs on the board, thanks to pacer Ishan Porel's twin strikes early on.

Porel's victims included the openers Max Bryant (14) and Jack Edwards (28) before Kamlesh Nagarkoti joined the party by removing the skipper Jason Sangha for an unlucky 13 off 24 balls.

Thereafter, Merlo and Param Uppal (34) steadied the team with a 75-run fourth wicket stand which saw them going past the 100-run mark, before left-arm spinner Anukul Roy ended Uppal's 58-ball stay with a brilliant catch in his own follow through.

Tottering at 134/4, Merlo was joined in by Nathan McSweeney (23), who added 49 runs for the fifth wicket before meeting the same fate as Uppal, this time caught and bowled by the other spinner Shiva Singh.

Despite losing his partners at the other end, Merlo continued to torment the Indians, raising his maiden half century off 60 balls by chopping a slower delivery from Porel for a single to sweeper cover.