No pressure, learnt a lot in this series: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
A spectacular 29-ball 94 from 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, including a record-breaking 11-ball half-century, propelled India A to a dominant 66-run victory over Sri Lanka A in the Tri-Series final at Dambulla
Dambulla: Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi said there was “no pressure” on him in the final despite a scratchy run in the Tri-Series and an ill-tempered outing in the previous match, as he trusted his plans and returned to his natural game to produce a match-winning performance against Sri Lanka A here on Sunday.
The 15-year-old, set to make his India debut in the T20 format later this month, scored a breathtaking 29-ball 94 and in the process broke the List A record with an 11-ball fifty, to set the tone for India A’s 66-run win in the summit clash.
“I hadn’t thought of anything. Just wanted to execute what I planned in the first ten and take it forward from there,” Sooryavanshi said after being named player of the match.
His stunning assault all but decided the contest in the first 10 overs itself just like the way he did it with an 80-ball 175 against England in the Under-19 World Cup triumph earlier this year.
Sooryavanshi’s early fireworks helped India A race to 132 in just nine overs and despite a middle-order slowdown, the side still piled up a daunting 377/9 before bowling out Sri Lanka A for 311 in 47.1 overs.
The final came against the same opposition India A had lost to in a Super Over in their previous outing, a match that had also seen Sooryavanshi involved in an on-field altercation with Sri Lankan players.
That episode, coupled with a modest run of scores in the tournament (117 from four innings), had put both his batting and temperament under scrutiny after a record-breaking IPL season where he had smashed 72 sixes.
The flamboyant left-hander often failed to convert starts and looked scratchy on the slower surfaces.
But Sooryavanshi said he never felt under pressure.
“No pressure. I wasn’t executing what I wanted. But after consulting with the coaches, I got it right. Learnt a lot this series,” he said.
Known largely for his T20 exploits so far, Sooryavanshi said he was comfortable in the 50-over format and enjoyed the challenge of adjusting to different conditions.
“I’ve played a lot of 50-over cricket. Not sure people know about it,” he said.
“The challenge was to adapt to different conditions, it was nice to take it on.”
Team showed character: India A skipper
India A captain Tilak Varma praised the collective response of the side after a couple of setbacks earlier in the tournament, saying the group showed composure and clarity in the final.
“Everyone showed real character. Especially after we lost back-to-back games. Then we won with big margins which was tremendous,” Tilak said.
He felt the team’s domestic experience and clarity of roles had played a key role.
“Everyone has played domestic cricket and has experience. Just a matter of planning before the game. We start big, consolidate and accelerate,” he said.
Tilak, however, admitted the bowling effort was not perfect despite the comfortable win.
“Slightly disappointed with the bowling but it happens in one-off series. We have a good side,” he said.
Sri Lanka A captain Sahan Arachchige conceded that Sooryavanshi’s breathtaking innings had put his side under immediate pressure but also rued the costly finish as No 9 Anukul Roy smashed 39 runs from 15 balls after surviving a dropped chance.
“Sooryavanshi played a brilliant innings. We managed the innings nicely thereon but let it slide in the last two overs,” Arachchige said.
“When we are chasing a big score, top order can fall cheaply. It happens. Young guys have played well, seniors have scored too. It’s been a good tournament,” he added.
