Vaibhav Suryavanshi flops? No worries — Captain Ayush Mhatre steps up with a century for India U-19 in Youth Test

Captain Ayush Mhatre bounced back from his white-ball struggles in style, slamming a superb century as India U-19 put England U-19 on a leather hunt on the opening day of the first Youth Test on Saturday.At stumps, India U-19 were firmly in control at 420 for 6 in just 77 overs, with an hour’s play still remaining.

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While teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi fell cheaply for 14, Mhatre—who had a lean run during the One-day series—made the most of his red-ball opportunity, scoring a fluent 102 off 115 balls. His knock was laced with 14 boundaries and two sixes and laid the foundation for India in his Youth Test debut.Mhatre shared a 173-run partnership for the second wicket with Vihaan Malhotra, who chipped in with a composed 67.Later, Abhigyan Kundu and Rahul Kumar put the England bowlers under further pressure with aggressive batting. Kundu smashed 90 off 95 balls with 10 fours and a six, while Kumar blazed his way to 85 off just 81 balls, hitting 14 boundaries and a six. Their 179-run stand for the fifth wicket came in only 27.4 overs, propelling India close to the 400-run mark.For England, Archie Vaughan—son of former captain Michael Vaughan—picked up two wickets, including that of Mhatre, with his off-breaks. However, Vaughan Jr. endured a tough day overall, as Indian batters attacked him relentlessly.It was a dominant batting display by India U-19, setting the tone early in the multi-day clash.