As has been the tale throughout the 2018 ICC U-19 World Cup, India's dominance put even the law of averages to shame, with the team thrashing Australia in the final in Tauranga on Saturday to clinch the title and script a perfect climax to their unbeaten run in the tournament.
The eight-wicket victory by chasing Australia's total of 216 not only gave the Indian boys a record fourth ICC U-19 World Cup, it also handed coach Rahul Dravid his first-ever World Cup title, either as player or coach.
Such was the Prithvi Shaw-led team's class that it pulled off its second highest successful run chase in the history of U-19 World Cup, after the first came under Delhi's Unmukt Chand to beat the same opponents in 2012.
And this time too, it was the turn of a Delhi boy to shine. Manjot Kalra scored an impressive 101 off just 102 balls to steer India home in a high-pressure title clash. He was supported ably by Harvik Desai and the in-form Shubman Gill, who was adjudged the player of the tournament.
But the victory was set up by the Indian bowling attack, who fired in unison as Ishan Porel, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shiva Singh and Anukul Roy picked up two wickets apiece.
Family and friends of the players back home too celebrated their beloved boys' feat. From Shaw's locality in Mumbai to Kalra's house in New Delhi to Desai's childhood academy in Bhavnagar to Aryan Juyal's school in Moradabad, there was an atmosphere of collective triumph.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India, too, announced a reward of Rs 30 lakh for every member of the team, while Dravid will be richer by Rs 50 lakh and each support staff by Rs 20 lakh.
In all this sense of hoopla, though, Dravid put the victory in perspective.
"It's a memory they'll cherish for a long time and hopefully it's not a memory that defines them and they will have a lot more bigger and better memories as they go on ahead in their careers," Dravid said.
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