New Delhi: India decimated Bangladesh by 131 runs in the quarter-finals to set up a last four clash with Pakistan in the ICC Undre-19 World Cup in Queenstown, New Zealand, on Friday. The semi-final will be played on January 30 at Christchurch.
The Prithvi Shaw-led team posted 265 in 49.2 overs and then bundled out Bangladesh for 134 in 42.1 overs. “The boys really executed the plans well as we had practised in the net session. Really looking forward to the contest against Pakistan,” Shaw said after the match.
Abhishek Sharma (50, 2/11, two catches) and man of the match Shubhman Gill (86) were India’s star performers. India’s bowlers scythed through Bangladesh’s middle-order with speedsters Kamlesh Nagarkoti (3/18) and Shivam Mavi (2/27) working up brisk pace. Apart from opener Pinak Ghosh (43), none of the other Bangladesh batsmen could cross the 20-run mark.
Nagarkoti regularly hit the 140 kmph mark beating batsmen for pace, some of them retreating towards the leg stump trying to avoid getting injured. India’s spinners — the left-arm trio of Shiva Singh (0/29), Anukul Roy (1/14) and Abhishek (2/11) — kept it tight as Bangladesh found it difficult to rotate the strike.
The only worrying factor for Rahul Dravid’s boys will be the lack of contribution from their lower-order, which was exposed by Bangladesh. India lost six wickets for 50 runs to fold up for 265 from 215/4 on a slow pitch where strokeplay was difficult.
Gill, however, was at ease on the pitch. He hit nine boundaries in his 94-ball knock, sharing an 86-run second wicket stand with Shaw (40) and 74 for the third wicket with wicketkeeper Harvik Desai (34).
Scores: India 265 in 49.2 overs (Shubham Gill 86, Abhishek Sharma 50, Qazi Onik 3/48) bt Bangladesh 134 in 42.1 overs (Pinak Ghosh 43; Kamlesh Naga-rkoti 3/18, Sharma 2/11).
