Reports | Brilliant top-order set up tri-series triumph for India U19
All three India U19 top-order batsmen โ Yashasvi Jaiswal, Divyaansh Saxena, and Priyam Garg โ struck fifties as India chased down 262 with eight balls to spare and clinch the U19 tri-series trophy in England. Wicket-keeper batsman Dhruv Jurel then saw the team through with an unbeaten 59.
Coming into the match on the back of a defeat to England U19, the India U19s would have been under the pump to pull-off another series win. However, in the end, it all seemed like a smooth sail through.
Opting to bat, the Bangladesh side put up a respectable total of 261 on the board. The bulk of the scoring for them also came from the top of the order. Opener Parvez Hossain Emon was involved in two fifty-run partnerships, before falling to the left-arm spin of Sushant Mishra for a 64-ball 60.
However, it was the no.3 batsman Mahmudul Hasan who stole the show in the first half of the match with a century to his name. Hasan struck nine fours and one maximum in his 109-run innings, and was the last batsman dismissed with the final ball of the innings. It was Hasan and Shamim Hossain (32) at No.7 that salvaged the team after a middle-order collapse.ย
For India, Mishra and right-arm pacer Kartik Tyagi stood out with two wickets apiece. The Indian teenagers then made light work of the total set before them, as Jaiswal, Saxena, and the skipper, all struck fifties. The openers made 50 and 55 respectively, putting on a 100-plus opening stand in only 22 overs.
Bangladesh U19โs Rakibul Hasan triggered a mild collapse, picking up both openers in the space of three overs, before No.4 Pragnesh Kanpillewar departed for two. Garg then took control of the chase with a quickfire 73. The skipper struck four fours and two sixes to register his second successive half-century. He was ably assisted by Jurel, whose 109-partnership with the captain took India to 27 runs shy of victory. After Garg fell, Jurel and Tilak Varma (16 off 10 balls) sealed the win and the title easily.