The Indian Under-19 team has pulled off a remarkable feat in the World Cup semi-final.
Chasing a challenging target of 311 runs against Afghanistan, India registered a spectacular victory and secured a direct entry into the final.
The hero of this victory was Aaron George, who scored a century under pressure, steadying the team and keeping the match firmly in India’s control.
After the match, a statement from former Services team coach Biju Nair, who has closely observed Aaron, went viral.
He emphatically stated, “The picture is not yet complete.” This match, played under the scorching sun of Harare, became a crucial turning point in Aaron’s career.
Aaron becomes India’s backbone in record chase
Afghanistan had posted a formidable total of 310 runs batting first. Centuries from Faisal Shinozada and Uzairullah Niazal put immense pressure on India. But Aaron George turned the match around with his innings of 115 runs off 104 balls.
India chased down the target with almost nine overs to spare, making it the biggest successful chase of the tournament.
Biju Nair said after the match, “He should have finished the game off today,” and added, “Very calm head on his shoulders. He anchored the innings to perfection.” Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and captain Ayush Mhatre provided quick runs around Aaron. Vaibhav scored 68 runs off 33 balls, while Ayush contributed 62 runs off 59 balls.
Praising Aaron’s batting, Biju said, “Aaron can play all kinds of innings,” and further explained, “He can match Vaibhav’s blitz or conjure the back-to-the-wall rearguard in the final innings of a Test match.”
Injury, struggle, and then a strong comeback
Aaron’s journey in this tournament hasn’t been easy. Due to an elbow injury, he missed the first two matches. After his return, his scores were 7, 23, and 16. Biju revealed, “Before this game, I made it a point to keep his morale up.” In the semi-final, Aaron fully justified that trust. His father, Easo Varghese, who was watching the match from Hyderabad, was also deeply emotional. He said, “Did you see that straight six he hit?” and added, “That was the shot of the game for me. His knock couldn’t have come at a more opportune moment.”
Aaron, whose family hails from Kerala and who grew up in Hyderabad, showed his talent from a young age. His father recalls, “At my in-laws’ place, he picked up a plastic bat and played straight. No slogging. That’s when I knew he had talent.”
In a crucial match like the semi-final, that same straight batting led India to the final, where the team will now face England.
