By Johnathan Paoli
India Under-19 began their three-match Youth One-Day International series against South Africa with a composed 25-run Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS) victory at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Saturday, taking a 1–0 lead in the contest.
In a match shaped by overcast conditions and intermittent rain, a decisive middle-order performance from India proved the difference, with Harvansh Pangalia and Rohan Ambrish combining for a match-defining partnership that steered the visitors to a defendable total and ultimately set up the win.
Winning the toss under threatening skies, South Africa opted to bowl first, a decision that appeared vindicated inside the opening powerplay.
The new-ball pairing of Jacques Basson and Bayanda Majola made excellent use of movement and bounce, striking twice to leave India reeling at 34/2 in the sixth over.
However, Pangalia and Ambrish responded by arresting the collapse and rebuilding with patience and discipline.
Pangalia played the more assertive role, driving confidently through the covers and pulling with authority as the innings progressed.
He fell short of a century, dismissed for a finely crafted 93 off 95 balls that included seven fours and two sixes.
Ambrish, meanwhile, provided stability and control, rotating the strike effectively and punishing loose deliveries.
His 65 from 79 balls ensured momentum was maintained through the middle overs, blunting South Africa’s attack and forcing the hosts onto the defensive.
After the partnership was eventually broken, useful contributions from Kanishk Chouhan (32), Khilan Patel (26), Vedant Trivedi (21) and Abhigyan Kundu (21) lifted India to a competitive total of 301 all out.
For South Africa, Basson was outstanding, claiming 4/54 in his 10 overs, including three wickets in his second spell.
Two sharp run-outs in the final over, one initiated by SA captain Muhammed Bulbulia, prevented India from pushing even higher.
Chasing a DLS-adjusted target, South Africa made a shaky start.
Early wickets fell inside the first 10 overs, leaving the hosts under pressure despite favourable conditions.
Indian seamer Deepesh Devendran was the chief threat with the new ball, finishing with figures of 2/33.
Opening batter Jorich van Schalkwyk, however, once again underlined his growing reputation as one of South Africa’s most promising youth prospects.
The record-holder for the highest individual score in Youth ODIs, his 215 against Zimbabwe earlier last year, looked fluent and assured, timing the ball sweetly and negotiating India’s spin attack with confidence.
Van Schalkwyk found valuable support from Armaan Manack, and the pair appeared to be steering South Africa back into contention.
Manack’s run-a-ball 46 was particularly important in keeping the required rate in check, but his run-out shortly before the rain interruption proved a turning point.
When play was eventually halted due to worsening weather, South Africa were 148/4, with Van Schalkwyk unbeaten on 60.
Under the DLS calculations, the hosts were 25 runs short of their revised target, handing India a rain-assisted but well-earned victory.
The result highlighted India’s depth and resilience, particularly in the middle order, an encouraging sign as they build towards the upcoming ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup, scheduled to take place in Zimbabwe and Namibia from 15 January to 6 February.
India will begin their World Cup campaign against the USA in Bulawayo, followed by group matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand.
India entered the South Africa series on the back of a runners-up finish at the Under-19 Asia Cup and are using the tour as a crucial final examination ahead of the global tournament.
The DLS method is a scoring system used in limited-overs cricket to produce a fair result when a match is interrupted by rain or other delays.
It works by recalculating targets based on the two key resources a batting team has available, overs remaining and wickets in hand, recognising that a team with more wickets can score faster than one with fewer.
When overs are lost, the chasing team’s target is adjusted to reflect the reduced opportunity to score, rather than simply scaling down the runs.
All three matches will be played at the same venue, with the series concluding on Wednesday.
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