Australia U19 skipper calls for side to bat 'smarter'

India may have comfortably won the under-19 one-day series against Australia 3-0, but confidence remains within the hosts' group to turn things around in the two four-day matches to come.

The Aussies were beaten by 167 runs in the third match on Friday, after the series began with defeats by seven wickets and then 51 runs.

But captain Will Malajczuk, pronounced Mala-check, sees plenty of areas for improvement and wants his side to be "smarter" with the bat in the remaining multi-day clashes in Brisbane and Mackay.

"They're a quality side ... they go really hard and always look to put pressure back on you," Malajczuk told cricket.com.au.

"As long as we're trying to put the pressure back on them and flip the tables, I think that'll hold us in good stead."

Malajczuk turned 18 earlier in the week and celebrated in Adelaide, as he briefly left the Under-19 squad, missing the second one-dayer, to join Western Australia's One-Day Cup squad for their trip to face South Australia.

Although he didn't play, it was another ringing endorsement from Adam Voges and the WA hierarchy who were impressed with Malajczuk's performances in the state's intrasquad matches earlier this year, after being invited to participate despite not holding a WA contract.

He's been captaining sides for as long as he can remember but Malajczuk says the "ridiculous" reality of skippering his country in the ongoing series is still taking a little bit of time to sink in.

"I'm pretty relaxed," Malajczuk said of his captaincy style.

"I love talking to my bowlers and seeing what their plans are, and I'm working with them to limit the batsman's scoring shots. I'm always there if they need a chat and the plans, I love being at mid-off and chatting about that."

While the left-handed batter says he'd love a bat swing as smooth as South Africa's Quinton de Kock, John James approaches batting with a little less finesse.

James is a powerfully-built allrounder who consistently clears the rope and has taken plenty of inspiration from a current Australian international.

"One player I model my game on is Mitchell Marsh," James told cricket.com.au.

"The way he goes about his batting (is great)… during the Ashes where he just looked to hit the ball hard on the ground or, if the ball was there, he'd hit it for six."

James belted an unbeaten 77 from 68 balls in the first one-dayer against India which ensured his side had a competitive total to defend after a wobbly start.

And the 18-year-old, who hails from Hornsby in the Upper North Shore of Sydney, credits his work ethic and a higher power for the most important knock of his career to date.

"Being able to push through when it was really hot that day, pushing through ball after ball, my belief helped me," James said.

"It's what my family's instilled in me. It's a really big part of our lives … I enjoy being religious and being Catholic."

James has been in the NSW state academy system since the Under-12s, and while he was disappointed to miss selection for the Australian Under-19s tour to India last year, he made up for it with an extra-curricular trip to the Caribbean.

Through the Hills Cricket Academy, a private coaching business run by former NSW Sheffield Shield representative Nick Bertus, James was part of a select group that visited Barbados in July for a series of matches against local sides.

The tour culminated with a match at the island's storied Kensington Oval, the scene of multiple World Cup finals.

For both future stars, and the rest of the Aussie squad, the words 'World Cup' will be taking up plenty of space in their consciousness for the next four months.

Australia will travel to Zimbabwe and Namibia for the 2026 Under-19 World Cup in January next year, where this group will defend the title won by the last crop of Under 19s in 2024.

Although Malajczuk isn't letting himself think too far ahead, the prospect of playing off for the Cup in the new year brings a smile to his face.

"(It) would be awesome. That's definitely one of my goals this year, is to represent my country at a World Cup," Malajczuk said.  

"You grow up watching teams play in the World Cup and to be part of that would be very special."

The first four-day match between Australia Under-19s and India Under-19s starts in Brisbane on Tuesday.