Dubai: Bangladesh Under-19 team created history by defeating defending champions India by three wickets via Duckworth-Lewis method to be crowned as the ICC Under-19 World Cup champions for the first time.
It was a dramatic final at the JB Marks Oval ground in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in which the match tilted both ways before Bangladesh showed resolve to seal the match.
Though rain stopped play, when Bangladesh needed 15 runs to win with three wickets in hand, they were 16 runs ahead of D/L par score.
The revised target of seven runs in 30 balls was achieved by Bangladesh comfortably.
Bangladesh bowlers struck to an accurate line and length to ensure India were bowled to to a paltry 177. Their medium pacers Avishek Das (3 for 40), Shoriful Islam (2 for 31) and Tanzim Hasan Sakib (2 for 28) choked India’s run flow after opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s knock of 88 off 121 balls with eight boundaries and one six ended. The only bright part of the Indian innings was the 94-run partnership in 22 overs between Jaiswal and Tilak Varma (38). India lost their last seven wickets for just 21 runs.
Chasing the target, Bangladesh slipped to 102 for six. India’s leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi produced a deadly spell of four for 30 but a fighting partnership of 41 runs between skipper Akbar Ali and opener Parven Emon for the seventh-wicket put them on the road to victory. When 35 runs were needed from 18 overs, leg spinner Jaiswal provided the breakthrough by having Emon caught at extra cover for 47. But Ali kept his calm and scored an unbeaten 43 runs and with the support of Rakibul Hasan (9 n.o) ensured his team reached the target through a 27-run stubborn stand.
Much was expected of the Indian opening pair of Jaiswal and Divyaansh Saxena that destroyed Pakistan in the semi-final with a 176-run partnership.
They could put on only nine runs. Saxena fell in the seventh over when he hit medium pacer Avishek Das straight to Mahmudul Hasan in the covers for two.
Jaiswal fresh from his unbeaten century against Pakistan, batted brilliantly by picking the gaps.
He reached his half century in 89 balls and then celebrated it by hitting Hasan Sakib for a six over midwicket. Sakib got the wicket of Varma who cut straight to Shoriful Islam at third man.
Indian skipper Priyam Garg lasted only nine balls to score seven runs before falling to left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan. At the score of 156 in the 40th over, Shoriful Islam had Jaiswal caught by Tanzid Hassan at midwicket. In the same over Islam trapped Siddhesh Veer leg before for a duck.
Two overs later, wicketkeeper and vice-captain Dhruv Jurel got run out for 22 racing for single without looking at the non-striker.
To make matters easy for Bangladesh, Ravi Bishnoi too got run out for two.
Das struck twice to remove Atharva Ankolekar and Kartik Tyagi to end India’s innings in 47.2 overs.
Chasing the target, Bangladesh openers Parvez Emon and Tanzid Hasan put on a 50-run partnership in 8.2 overs but three balls later leg spinner Bishnoi had Hasan caught by Tyagi at long on for 17.
Mahamudul Hasan, who hit a century in the semi-final against New Zealand to ensure Bangladesh a place in the final, lasted only 12 balls to score eight runs when Bishnoi forced Hasan to chop on to his wicket.
At this stage, Emon on 25, was forced to retire hurt due to cramps on his left leg.
This resulted in two fresh batsmen in the crease. Bishnoi picked his third wicket trapping Towid Hridoy leg before for a duck with a googly. In the 17th over, Bishnoi had Shahadat Hossain stumped by wicketkeeper Jurel for 1. Half the side were back in the pavilion for 85 by the 21st over when left-arm pacer Sushant Mishra got Shamim Hossain for seven. Mishra also had Das caught by Tyagi at square leg. Emon returned to bat and joined Ali and Bangladesh, at the half way mark, needed 68 more runs with four wickets in hand.
