Manjot Kalra, Delhi lad who batted India to a record World Cup title
Bowling: Shivam Mavi 8.2-146-1, Ishan Porel 7-1-30-2, Shiva Singh 10-0-36-2, Kamlesh Nagarkoti 9-0-41-2, Abhishek Sharma 6-0-30-0, Anukul Roy 7-0-32-2. PASSING TEST Oz skipper Jason Sangha had said India’s middle order had not been tested. Dismissals of Shaw and Gill put a little pressure, but Harvik Desai’s 47 not out at No 4 and his 89-run stand with Kalra ticked that box. MUMBAI: Explosive left-handed opener Manjot Kalra on Saturday played the most crucial knock of his young career, scoring 101 not out to seal India’s win over Australia at Mount Maunganui.
Kalra kept going after his solid opening stand with skipper Prithvi Shaw. He started the World Cup with 86 against Australia, but then made 18 runs in the next three matches.
However, he hit a crucial 47 in the semi-final against Pakistan, warming up for Saturday.
His quick hands, ability to pierce gaps and not going into a shell in pressure situations was signs of a quality batsman in the making, who was embarrassingly asked to undergo a second age-verification test by DDCA, despite BCCI’S clearance.
Kalra cemented his spot for the tournament with a fine century against England in an away Youth Test, the lefthander hitting 122 off 117 balls.
FIRST STEP
In the U-19 Challenger Trophy final in November, his 72 fired India Blue to a 39-run win. Kalra made a first impression in the 2016-17 Cooch Behar Trophy, aggregating 742 runs to power Delhi into the final. He hit a century and six fifties, averaging 49.47.
It adds to the Capital connect in U-19 World Cups. In 2008 in Kuala Lumpur, it was skipper Virat Kohli while Unmukt Chand shone with a century in the 2012 victory. In 2016, when India reached the final in Bangladesh, Rishabh Pant’s power-hitting played an important role.