India U19 lost the World Cup final to Australia U19 final on Sunday in Benoni, South Africa. This is India’s third straight loss to the Aussies in ICC finals. It all started last year after Rohit Sharma-led India lost to Pat Cummins’ Australia in the World Test Championship final in June. A few months later, India lost another final to Australia, in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at Ahmedabad. This is one of the worst losses in recent history as India had come to the summit clash on back on 10 consecutive wins.
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In a similar fashion, India U19 team this year had won everything except the final, which they lost to Australia again. As soon as the loss came, the social media was full of praise for the Australian team while Indian fans also had good things to say about their own team despite the loss. At the same time, the third straight loss to Australia began a meme game on Twitter.
Check out some of the best memes and jokes that borne out of the loss:
Losing to Australia in a World Cup Final. #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/rw2XcmTUdS — Sagar (@sagarcasm) February 11, 2024
Depressed ICT fans #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/jelyn97z57 — Taha (@tahaactually) February 11, 2024
After losing to Australia in finals..
Indian U19 team to Senior team : #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/GHFFuV2fln — UmdarTamker (@UmdarTamker) February 11, 2024
Once again _#INDvAUS #U19WorldCup2024 pic.twitter.com/UOvnqXAFJ6
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) February 11, 2024
World Champion for a reason __#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/Li9RrGJXTL — B__rle-G (blue tick) (@Hero_Zumour) February 11, 2024
Indian CT about Australian team : #INDvAUS #U19WorldCupFinal pic.twitter.com/oAKBRkd2v7 — UMAR (@Agrumpycomedian) February 11, 2024
Indian cricket fans now #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/H101b40OJl — Anoop __ (@ianooop) February 11, 2024
After winning the toss in the final, Australia captain Hugh Weibgen opted to bat first in overcast conditions. They put up 253 for 7 in 50 overs with Harjas Singh stroking a fifty in the key clash. India never got going in the chase of 254 runs and got bowled out for 174 in 43.5 overs.
Uday Saharan, the Indian Captain, expressed his pride in the team’s performance, highlighting their commendable display of fighting spirit throughout the tournament. He acknowledged that despite their preparedness, they faltered today due to some rash shots and lack of time spent in the middle. Saharan emphasized the valuable lessons gained from the tournament, both from the support staff and the games themselves. He affirmed the team’s commitment to continuous learning and improvement moving forward.
Hugh Weibgen, the Australian Captain, said he has immense pride in his team and coaching staff. He commended their willingness to bat first and their strategy to accumulate runs while backing themselves. Weibgen praised Harjas Singh as a quality player, attributing his success to the unwavering support of the coaching staff. Despite Australia’s victory, he acknowledged India’s dominance throughout the tournament and expressed confidence in their future successes. Weibgen also lauded the pacers for their unity and understanding of their roles, predicting bright futures for each of them in their careers.