India keep double date

As he took the wicket of Brad Barnes on the final ball of the day, giving India the Under-19 World Cup...

As he took the wicket of Brad Barnes on the final ball of the day, giving India the Under-19 World Cup, Siddharth Kaul would have done his parents proud. The straight, on-the-stumps ball that rocked the South African batsman would have delighted his pace bowling coach father Tej Kaul, while the subsequent celebration 8212; the high jump and the skid on the turf with the face down 8212; would have excited his former gymnastics national champion mother .

8220;My parents will be so happy and I am sure there will be tears in their eyes after watching me bowl India to this famous victory,8221; says Siddharth. The youngster himself chokes on emotions while shaking hands with hundreds of fans who braved the pouring rain to first run onto the field after India8217;s 12-run win and later crowded around the boys in blue in a chaotic celebration. They carried the tournament8217;s highest run-getter Tanmay Srivastava on their shoulders off the field and others mobbed skipper Virat Kohli. Tanmay lost his cap in the melee and Kohli his glasses. But with the Cup in their hands, such minor mishaps were obviously being overlooked.

Teenagers, who were not even born when Mohinder Amarnath was similarly mobbed at Lord8217;s after the 1983 World Cup final, were re-living those famous cricketing scenes at the Kinrara Oval here today. And like on that day, today too India had defended a small total, kept their cool under pressure and it was yet again the bowlers who were the day8217;s heroes.

Dream spell

The final8217;s Man of the Match, pacer Ajitesh Agral, who had a dream spell of 5-2-7-2, had never even been interviewed in his life before, but today he had a queue of television cameras waiting for him. He says: 8220;All the sacrifices that I have made are worth it.8221; He talks of him moving from Bhopal to Baroda for the sake of his cricket, staying away from his parents and the efforts of his departed grandfather. 8220;My grandfather used to play hockey with Dhyanchand in Jhansi. He was good, but for the sake of the family, he didn8217;t pursue the sport. He wanted me to play for India and really pushed me,8221; he says.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja tries to discipline his locks drenched in water as he walks from the dressing room for Team India8217;s brief meeting with ICC president Ray Mali. Two years ago, he had played the final where India had choked against Pakistan.

8220;That day was traumatic,8221; he says. 8220;During the break today I told the team how it feels when you miss the Cup after coming so close. I certainly didn8217;t want that to happen again,8221; he says as team physio Muthu, the only other member in the present India camp who was in Colombo with Jadeja in 2006, nods. Jadeja8217;s spell of 5-0-25-2 at a crucial juncture changed it all today.

Coach Dav Whatmore has seen all this before 8212; he won the senior World Cup with Sri Lanka in 1996 8212; but he too thinks this one is special. 8220;This is a terrific bunch with a terrific potential. Many of them will make it to the main team soon,8221; he says.

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A bright future was never in doubt for this talented bunch, but even the present is equally rewarding. Minutes after the victory, the team8217;s assistant manager Hitesh Patel got a call from India, informing him that the BCCI president had announced a prize of Rs 15 lakh for the team.

Skipper Kohli speaks of buying a Honda Civic when he returns to Delhi. And he adds with a smile: 8220;And there is also the IPL.8221; This windfall on a rainy day has certainly changed the life of these 15 teenagers here.