U-19 Bangla boys beat India to clinch maiden World Cup title
Bangladesh Under-19 team clinched their maiden World Cup title — at any level — in a rain-truncated match, beating reigning champions India by three wickets in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup final at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom on Sunday. It started raining when Bangladesh needed 15 runs to win and once the covers were peeled off, a revised target was applicable as the Bangla boys needed seven runs from 30 balls to win.
Banking on opener Parvez Hossain Emon and skipper Akbar Ali, Bangladesh kept dominating the Indian side as Ravi Bishnoi’s four-wicket-haul and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 88 went in vain. India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal was adjudged Player of the Tournament for his tremendous contribution of 400 runs for the team in the tournament.
India started well in the second innings, but the picking up of wickets in regular intervals was lacking for the Indian bowlers. Bangladesh had a tough ask ahead but could sail through to bamboozle the Indian bowlers.
Earlier Bangladesh were given a target of 178 to chase down, Bangladesh had got a good opening stand of 50 runs but India got a breakthrough as Ravi trapped Tanzid Hassan for 17 runs. In quick succession, Bangladesh batters lost grounds as Ravi stifled the rivals batters. At 25 overs, Bangladesh were 110/6. Started confidently but Bangladesh had to face a stiff challenge from Ravi Bishnoi, who was the pick of the bowlers in the Indian dressing room as the spinner picked four-wicket-haul.
After giving away four quick wickets, Bangladesh were seemingly bogged down by left-arm medium-pacer, Sushant Mishra. He kept the Bangladesh middle-order on the back foot as the run rate has gone down despite having upper hand with the run rate in the powerplay.
Bangladesh U-19 won the toss and put India into bat. India’s opener Yashasvi Jaiswal hammered 88 runs, but the Bangladesh bowlers restricted India for 177 runs. For Bangladesh, Avishek Das picked up three wickets while Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Shoriful Islam took two wickets apiece.
The left-handed batsman Yashasvi is the highest run-getter in the biennial tournament. India could post 178 as a target for Bangladesh, thanks to Yashasvi. His 88 runs came in 121 balls laced with eight boundaries and a six. Tilak Varma played second fiddle with 38 runs in 65 balls.
Yashasvi’s wicket triggered a collapse as Bangladesh’s colts dismantled India’s middle-order. The last seven wickets were snared in the span of 21 runs. This is the first time in the last 13 matches that India were all out. India are in the World Cup final for the third consecutive time while Bangladesh are in the final for the first time.
Brief scores: India U-19 177 in 47.2 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 88, Tilak Varma 38; Avishek Das 3/40, Tanzim Hasan Sakib 2/28, Shoriful Islam 2/31) lost to Bangladesh U-19 170/7 (D/L method) in 42.1 overs (Parvez Hossain Emon 47, Akbar Ali 43; Ravi Bishnoi 4/30, Sushant Mishra 2/25, Yashasvi Jaiswal 1/15). Player of the Tournament: Yashasvi Jaiswal.
