UNDER-19 CRICKET WORLD CUP
Sri Lanka went down to India by 90 runs in their opening match in Group A of the Under-19 Cricket World Cup at Bloemfontein on Sunday. Chasing India’s imposing total of 297 for 4 wickets in 50 overs, Sri Lanka was all out for 207 in 45.2 overs of the seventh match of the mega tournament. The Sri Lankans run chase suffered an early setback losing the inform Navod Paranavithana for 6 with the total on 19. However, Kamil Mishara and one drop batsman Ravindu Rshantha rallied the side adding 87 runs for the second wicket when Rashantha was clean bowled by Jaiswal for 49 with the total on 106 off 22.5 overs which underlined to what extent the Indian bowlers dominated. His 70-ball knock contained 5 boundaries. Mishara fell next off the fifth ball of the
25th over. He made 39 off 59 balls inclusive of 4 boundaries and a six, and when Thaveeshae Kahaduwaaarachchi was fourth out for 15 with the total on148 by the second ball of the 34th over the writing was on the wall as the asking rate kept increasing . Skipper Nipun Dananjaya played a back to the wall innings of 50 off 59 balls with 2 boundaries and a six adding 33 runs for the fifth wicket with Sonal Dinusha whose dismissal for 16 with the total on 181 off 38.2 overs marked the end of Sri Lanka’s fight as the Indian bowlers proceeded to tighten the screws bowling out the opposition in the next seven overs. For India, Akash Singh with 2 for 29, S.A. Veer 2 for 34 and R. Bishnoi 2 for 44 excelled with the ball.
The Sri Lankan skipper Dananjaya might well be ruing his decision to have elected to field on winning the toss which took a heavy toll as the reigning champions went on a run spree with openers Y.B.K. Jaiswal, who struck 59 off 74 balls inclusive of 8 boundaries, and D.A. Saxena who made 23 off 27 with 3 boundaries, posting 66 off 11.5 overs when Amshi de Silva had him caught by Dananjaya. From that point Jaiswal and Tilak Varma took the score to 112 when Jaiswal was dismissed by Dilshan Madushanka to a catch by Mishara by the fourth ball of the 21st over.
Then Varma was joined by skipper P.K. Garg who made 56 off 72 balls with 2 hits to the ropes as the third wicket realised 59 runs when Varma was stumped by Ashen Daniel for 46 off 53 balls containing 3 boundaries with the total reading 171 off 31.3 overs. Garg went on to add a further 63 runs for the fourth wicket with D.C. Jurel who struck an unbeaten 52 off 48 balls with 3 boundaries and a six When the Indian captain became Mishara’s second stump victim off leggie Kavindu Nadeeshan. But from there it was India all the way as the fifth wicket pair of Jurel and S.A. Veer, who made an unbeaten 44 off just 27 balls striking 6 boundaries and a six, took India to 297 for 4 by the 50th over. Madushanka and Nadeeshan came in for some stick during India’s late charge.
CHIEF SCORES:
India 297/4 (50 Overs) Run rate: 5.94
(Y.B.K. Jaiswal 59, P.K. Garg 56, D.C. Jurel n.o. 52, T. Varma 46, S.A. Veer n.o. 44, A. Daniel 1/39, A. de Silva 1/40, K. Nadeeshan 1/58, D. Madushanka 1/69).
Sri Lanka 207 All out (45.2 Overs) Run rate: 4.56
(N.D. Perera 50, R. Rashantha 49, K. Mishara 39, G.S. Dinusha 16, Akash Singh 2/29, S.A. Veer 2/34, R. Bishnoi 2/44)
