Ayush Mhatre set to lead U-19 India as BCCI announces squad for Australia tour

New Delhi [India], July 30 (ANI): Young cricketing sensation Ayush Mhatre is set to lead the Indian Under-19 team on its multi-format tour of Australia, which begins on September 21, as the Junior Selection Committee has picked India U19's squad for the upcoming tour of Australia in September, according to the BCCI website.

The India U19 side will play three one-day games and two multi-day matches against Australia's U19 side. Vihaan Malhotra has been named his deputy.

U-19 India recently played a five-match ODI series and a two-match Test series against England. India secured the ODI series by 3-2, and the Test series ended in a draw.

Ayush Mhatre from Mumbai, who had a breakout Indian Premier League (IPL) debut season for five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) this year, was the team's captain for both formats.

Although he could manage just 28 runs in five innings during the ODI leg with best score of 21, he absolutely blasted bowlers left and right during the Test leg of the tour, topping the red-ball charts with 340 runs in four innings at an average of 85.00 and a strike rate of over 103, with two centuries and a fifty.

Previously in the first Test, he had made 102 and 32. Both matches ended in a draw, with India recently settling for a draw in the second Test, ending the proceedings at 290/6 while chasing down 355 runs.

Mhatre blasted 126 in 80 balls during the second Test while chasing, with 13 fours and six sixes. His century in 64 balls is the third-fastest in U19 Test cricket, behind Moeen Ali (56 balls) and Vaibhav Suryavanshi (58 balls). In the first innings, he had made 80 runs.

In the Test leg, pacer Aditya Rawat topped the bowling charts for India with six wickets at an average of 24.00 and best figures of 4/80.

Among other top performers in the Test leg was batter Vihaan Malhotra, scoring 277 runs in four innings at an average of 69.25, with a century (123 in the second Test) and two half-centuries. He also took three wickets.

During the tightly-contested ODI leg, it was the 14-year-old, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who dominated the batting charts, scoring 355 runs in five innings at an average of 71.00, at a strike rate of above 174, with a century and fifty each. Vihaan's 243 runs in five matches, at an average of 48.6,0, including a century, were another highlight for India.

Among bowlers during the ODIs, young spinner Kanishk Chouhan stole the show, ending as the joint-leading wicket-taker with eight scalps in five matches at an average of 21.12, with best figures of 3/20.

India U19 squad: Ayush Mhatre (C), Vihaan Malhotra (VC), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Vedant Trivedi, Rahul Kumar, Abhigyan Kundu (WK), Harvansh Singh (WK), R S Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Naman Pushpak, Henil Patel, D Deepesh, Kishan Kumar, Anmoljeet Singh, Khilan Patel, Udhav Mohan, Aman Chauhan.

Standby players: Yudhajit Guha, Laxman, B.K. Kishore, Alankrith Rapole, and Arnav Bugga. (ANI)

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