A Century in Vain: How India's Young Guns Outshone a Brilliant Australian Knock

India's under-19 cricket team has clinched their three-match ODI series against Australia with a game to spare, after a solid 51-run victory in the second match at Brisbane's Ian Healy Oval The win was set up by impressive half-centuries from Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Vihaan Malhotra, and Abhigyan Kundu, before a collective bowling performance sealed the 2-0 series lead.After being asked to bat first, India's innings got off to a rocky start with captain Ayush Mhatre dismissed for a duck However, 14-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi steadied the ship, scoring a brisk 70 off 68 balls He was well-supported by Vihaan Malhotra, who also made 70, as the two built a crucial 117-run partnership for the second wicket.During his innings, Suryavanshi also achieved a remarkable milestone, breaking the world record for the most career sixes in Youth ODIs. He surpassed the previous record held by former India U19 captain Unmukt Chand, hitting his 41st six in just his 10th innings—a feat that took Chand 21 matches to achieve.Later on, a quickfire 71 from wicketkeeper Abhigyan Kundu propelled India to a final total of 300 all out.In their chase, Australia was powered by a lone warrior in Jayden Draper, who smashed a spectacular century, scoring 107 off just 72 balls. Despite his brilliant effort, the Australian lineup faltered around him, losing wickets at regular intervals India's captain Ayush Mhatre, after his failure with the bat, made a decisive impact with the ball. His part-time off-spin accounted for three key wickets, including the crucial dismissal of the rampant Draper, effectively ending Australia's hopes. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 249The final match of the series is scheduled for Friday, with India aiming for a complete series sweep.