Mumbai and CSK opener Ayush Mhatre smashed a blistering century on his U19 Test debut for India against England at Beckenham today (July 12).
After captain Mhatre elected to bat first on day one of the first match of the series, India got off to a rollicking start with teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashing three boundaries in the first over. However, Suryavanshi’s innings was cut short at 14 when Alex Green dismissed him in the fourth over.
Despite losing his opening partner, Mhatre continued playing aggressively. In his maiden U19 Test innings, the captain notched a 60-ball fifty – reaching the milestone with a streaky boundary off left-arm seamer James Minto – before taking another 47 balls to convert it into a century. Like his half-century, he brought up his ton with a four, this time a more convincing lofted drive over long-on off Archie Vaughan. He added just two more runs before falling to Vaughan, finishing with a debut century spanning 115 balls with 14 fours and two sixes to his name.
1st Youth Test, England Under-19 vs India Under-19
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Mhatre’s dismissal ended a 173-run third-wicket stand with Vihaan Malhotra, who fell just an over later, leaving India at 194-3. The tourists suffered another quick blow with Maulyarajsinh Chavda (11) departing, but keeper Abhigyan Kundu (90 off 95) and Rahul Kumar (85 off 81) seized control, maintaining a run rate above five throughout the day to keep India dominant.
Mhatre became Chennai Super Kings’ youngest IPL debutant this year – just a day after Suryavanshi became the tournament’s youngest – after joining as a mid-season injury replacement for captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. The 17-year-old arrived with strong domestic form and emerged as a rare bright spot in CSK’s bottom-placed campaign, scoring 240 runs at 34.28 and 188.97, the third-highest tally for his side. His standout performance was a 48-ball 94 against eventual champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Though he led India to a 3-2 win in the preceding Youth ODIs against England U19s, his batting form coming into the Youth Tests left much to be desired. He managed scores of 21, 0, 5, and 1, missing the third match reportedly due to injury.
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