Double Sunday treat for Indian cricket

NEW
DELHI, March 2:

This time, the choke's not on India. It was hard labour
as cricket fans furiously switched TV channels all Sunday, but in the end the
reward was sweet and memorable. On a historic day for Indian cricket, youth and
experience served up a double delight, coming up trumps in two tense final
encounters spread across continents, bringing lumps to the throats of frenzied
Indian fans from India to

Kuala Lumpur

to

Sydney

.

ICC/U19 Won: India v South Africa at Kualalumpuer 02/03/08
In KL, Delhi
batsman Virat Kohli's Indian team won the

Under-19 World
Cup

, beating South Africa in a bitterly fought, rain-hit final by 12 runs on
the Duckworth-Lewis formula. Just hours before the colts exploded in a burst of
euphoric celebrations, the experienced hand of

Sachin Tendulkar

had guided India to
a convincing six-wicket victory over the mighty Australians in Sydney. Tendulkar
scored a majestic, unbeaten 117 as India successfully chased 240 for victory,
his first ODI ton in Australia and his 42nd overall. Here too he was aided by
youth, as Rohit Sharma contributed 66 in a 123-run fourth-wicket
stand.
MS Dhoni's team

now have a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three tri-series finals, putting to shade all
the snide off-field bluster from the likes of Matthew Hayden, and proving hollow
Oz skipper Ricky Ponting's claim, in his TOI column, that the "third final won't
be required".

1st ODI Final won :India v Australia CB Series at Sydney 02.03.08
The juniors didn't have

Tendulkar's

assured genius to bank
upon, but as they have throughout the tournament,

Kohli's boys

backed themselves with gusto and raised their game in crucial situations to come
up with a spirited win, India's second U-19 Cup triumph since Mohammad Kaif's
team won in Sri Lanka in 2000.

It was a nervy affair from start to
finish, and rain complicated the situation. Last time, the juniors had stumbled
chasing 110 against Pakistan in the final, but this time they showed no such
panic.

Thanks RG

source.cricket.indiatimes.com