India beat Sri Lanka by 144 runs to win U-19 Asia Cup title

Times of India: India’s colts produced a clinical performance to outclasss Sri Lanka by 144 runs in the summit clash of the 2018 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup in Dhaka yesterday.

The victory gave India their sixth title in the continental tournament. After the batsmen set a competitive target of 305 runs, India’s bowlers bundled the Lankans out for 160 in 38.4 over to reclaim the trophy. Left-arm spinner Harsh Tyagi was the pick of the Indian bowlers as he bamboozled the Lankan batsmen to return figures of 6 for 38 in 10 overs.

India won the first five U-19 Asia Cups but they failed to reach the semifinals in the last edition in 2017 which was held in Malaysia. They have come back stronger this time around to remain unbeaten throughout the tournament.

Sri Lanka’s run chase began on the wrong foot as they lost skipper Nipun Dananjaya (12) early to pacer Mohit Jangra to be at 20/1 in 6.1 overs. The Indian bowlers squeezed the run flow after that with some tight bowling.

Tyagi then gave India their second breakthrough when he dismissed Pasindu Sooriyabandara (31 off 32), who was scoring at a good clip, to reduce Sri Lanka to 66/2 in 15.3 overs.

Tyagi did not stop there and struck twice in quick succession. First he removed Kalana Perera for nought in his next over (18th), before sending Nuwanidu Fernando (4) back to the pavilion with Sri Lanka struggling at 79/4 in 19.2 overs.

The left-armer Tyagi continued to wreak havoc in the Lankan camp and dismissed Nishan. M. Fernando to reduce them to 104/5 in 23.5 overs. Fernando was holding the fort for his team till then, scoring 49 off 67 balls with the help of two sixes and a solitary four.

It was downhill for Sri Lanka after that and soon two wickets in two balls left them reeling at 127/7 after 32.1 overs. Siddarth Desai dismissed Dulith Wellalage (7) with the final ball of the 32nd over, before Nipun Malinga was run out without facing a ball while trying to steal a second run.

In the 34th over, Tyagi completed his five-wicket haul by scalping Sandun Mendis (1), before making Kalhara Senarathne his sixth victim.

Desai took the final wicket to wrap up the innings, when he trapped Navod Paranavithana LBW. Paranavithana scored a handy 48 off 61 balls but failed to find a reliable partner at the other end.

Earlier India’s top order fired in unison and posted a big total of 304 for 3 after opting to bat first.

Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (85) and Anuj Rawat (57) gave the former champions an ideal start by adding 121 runs for the first wicket in 25 overs. Both completed their respective half-centuries before Rawat was out leg before to left-arm spinner Dulith Wellalage in the first ball of the 26th over. Rawat smacked three sixes and four boundaries for his 79-ball knock of 57.

Jaiswal was then joined by Devdutt Padikkal (31 off 43 balls) and the duo kept the momentum going with another solid stand of 59 runs in 12.2 overs.

India lost both Jaiswal and Padikkal in fairly quick succession and were at 194/3 in 40.5 overs. Jaiswal was trapped LBW by pacer Kalana Perera in the 38th over after the Indian opener scored 85 off 113 balls with the help of a six and eight fours. Paddikkal was then clean bowled by off-spinner Senarathne in the 41st over.

Captain Simran Singh (65*) along with Ayush Badoni (52*) made sure that India finished off their innings in style, adding an unbeaten 110 runs in just 9.1 overs and took the score past the 300-run mark. They capitalised on the solid platform set by the top three batsmen and launched their attack from the word go. Singh smashed four sixes and three fours for his 37-ball 65, while Badoni scored a quick-fire 52 off just 28 balls, which included five hits over the rope and two fours.

Brief scores: India 304/3 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 85; Kalhara Senarathne 1/45) beat Sri Lanka 160 in 38.4 overs (Nishan M Fernando 49; Harsh Tyagi 6/38) by 144 runs