Vaibhav Suryavanshi, aged 14, has etched his name in cricket history by becoming the first player to score a half-century and take a wicket in the same Youth Test match before turning 15, during the ongoing series against England.Suryavanshi’s remarkable achievement surpassed the previous record held by Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who accomplished this feat at 15 years and 167 days against Sri Lanka in Mirpur in 2013. Former India cricketer Suresh Raina also achieved this milestone at 15 years and 242 days against England in Colombo in 2002.In the opening Youth Test, Suryavanshi displayed his all-round capabilities despite a modest start. He scored 14 runs in the first innings before being dismissed but made a strong comeback in the second innings with a quick-fire 56 runs off 44 deliveries. His left-arm spin bowling yielded two wickets in the first innings.
The match saw India posting a substantial first-innings total of 540, with captain Ayush Mhatre scoring a century. Vihaan Malhotra, Abhigyan Kundu, Rahul Kumar, and RS Ambrish contributed with half-centuries. England’s Alex Green and Ralphie Albert claimed three wickets each.England responded with 439 runs in their first innings, with Rocky Flintoff top-scoring at 93. India’s Henil Patel picked up three wickets in the innings.In their second innings, India were bowled out for 248, with Malhotra leading the scoring with 63 runs. England’s Archie Vaughan impressed with a six-wicket haul.
Chasing 350 for victory, England managed to reach 270 for 7 when the match concluded in a draw. England’s captain Hamza Shaikh scored a century during the chase.Suryavanshi’s performance also saw him collect another distinction as the youngest player to score multiple half-centuries in international U-19 cricket in the Test format.The second Youth Test of the series is scheduled to begin on Sunday, July 20, at Chelmsford, where Suryavanshi will have another opportunity to showcase his talents.
