Dubai: Punjab-born right-arm pacer Kamal Passi produced a deadly six-wicket spell to help India beat Zimbabwe by 63 runs in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 Cricket World Cup at Tony Ireland Stadium in Australia on Tuesday.
Passi ripped through Zimbabwe’s top order and ended with figures of six for 23 to help his team bounce back from Sunday’s loss to the West Indies. Zimbabwe all-rounder Malcolm Lake cracked a fighting 118 off 107 balls with 10 fours and five sixes before his team were dismissed for 198.
Batting first, Indian openers Prashant Chopra and captain Unmukt Chand put on 139 and their middle-order batsmen made full use of the good start to help India finish at 261 for six in 50 overs. Chand top-scored with 78, while Chopra scored 57.
Elsewhere, Afghanistan put up a spirited display but lost by eight runs to New Zealand.
Afghanistan valiantly chased New Zealand’s target of 199 through Najibullah Zadran’s 69. But Jacob Duffy took four wickets for 40 runs to restrict Afghanistan to 190 for 9 in their 50 overs.
Afghanistan pacers — left-armer Sayed Shirzad and Yamin Ahmadzai — took four wickets each to bowl New Zealand out for 198.
Defending champions Australia clinched a place in the quarter-finals after registering a six-wicket victory over Ireland.
The hosts bowled Ireland out for 129 in 42.5 overs. Captain Will Bosisto (36 not out) and Sam Hain (26 not out) put on 59 for the fifth wicket to ensure Australia’s victory in 40.3 overs.
Pakistan and New Zealand have also reached the quarter-final stage.
