"We played a few rash shots" - India U-19 captain Uday Saharan after final defeat to Australia

India's Under-19 World Cup captain Uday Saharan rued "a few rash shots" and the batters' failure to spend time on the pitch after the 79-run defeat to Australia in the final at Willowmoore Park on Sunday.

Chasing 254, which was around 40 runs above par on the seaming track, India lost six wickets for 91 runs. The top and the middle-order batters looked good in defense but couldn't keep patience against the moving and sometimes variably bouncing deliveries from Australia's accurate seam attack.

No. 8 batter Murugan Abhishek top-scored with 42 (46) but couldn't take his team close to the target.

"It was fine. We played a few rash shots and couldn't spend some time on the surface," Saharan said in the post-match ceremony. "We were prepared for it but we couldn't execute well. That is where we went wrong."

"It was great, I am very proud of the boys, they played very well. The entire team, from the start to the end showed fighting spirit. They played very well and I am proud of them," he added.

Saharan, who mistimed a cut to backward point for 8 (18), was the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 397 runs in seven matches at an average of 56.71.

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"There have been a lot of learnings" - Uday Saharan

The skipper added that he and his teammates took a lot of learnings from the tournament which they'd like to take forward in their careers.

"There have been a lot of learnings, right from the start to now. I have learnt a lot from the staff and even during the match, have learnt so much. I just want to take all the learnings from this tournament and move forward in my career," Uday Saharan.

It was India's second defeat to Australia in a World Cup final in less than six months.

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