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On March 2, 2008, India, led by 19-year-old Virat Kohli, won the ICC Under-19 World Cup, defeating South Africa. Ajitesh Argal and Ravindra Jadeja starred in the 12-run win.
On This Day In 2008: South Africa fell 12 runs short of the target as India won their second Under-19 World Cup. (Image: ICC/X, formerly Twitter)
On This Day In 2008: When it comes to producing the finest cricketing talents, India has consistently ranked higher on the global charts. Proving the claim is their unparalleled records in the major youth tournaments. India have become the champions of the ICC Under-19 World Cup five times, which makes them the most successful team in the history of the competition.
One of those titles came on this day (March 2) in 2008 when a young brigade, led by a 19-year-old Virat Kohli, crushed South Africa at the Kinrara Academy Oval in Kuala Lumpur. The Indian bowlers put up a dominant show in the second innings as South Africa failed to chase 160 in the final.
South African captain Wayne Parnell won the toss and asked India to bat first. The Virat Kohli-led side had a disastrous start, with both the openers returning early to the pavilion.
Tanmay Srivastava was the standout batter with 46 runs while Kohli scored 19 off 34 balls. Due to a too-order collapse, India went four down at 83.
Sourav Tiwary and Manish Pandey made some valuable contributions, scoring 20 runs each. Ravindra Jadeja added 13 to the board while Pradeep Sangwan chipped in with a 13-run cameo. Combining their efforts, India posted 159, losing all wickets in 45.4 overs.
For South Africa, Wayne Parnell, Roy Adams and Matthew Arnold each picked two wickets while Pieter Malan and Yaseen Vallie got one. The start of the second innings was delayed due to incessant rain in Kuala Lumpur.
As per the Duckworth-Lewis method, South Africa got a revised target of 116 runs in 24 overs.
Ajitesh Argal gave India a perfect start, dismissing both the opposition openers within the first six overs. When South Africa lost their fourth, they were reeling at 22 runs. Five of their batters failed to score in double digits.
Reeza Hendricks emerged as the lone warrior. The middle-order batter struck 35 before falling victim to Jadeja. The Indian spinner also dismissed Jonathan Vandiar.
Argal also finished with two scalps, alongside Siddarth Kaul who took the important wicket of Parnell. Bradley Barnes made some efforts lower in the order but his 19-run knock was not enough to seal the win. South Africa ultimately fell 12 runs short of the target as India won their second Under-19 World Cup.