Bangladesh stole a rain-affected thriller against India by three wickets to win their maiden U-19 World Cup title, in the final at Potchefstroom in South Africa. Chasing 178 to win, they reached the 170-run target (D/L method) with 23 balls to spare.
Skipper Akbar Ali played the anchor's role to perfection with an unbeaten 77-ball 43, to guide his team to a historic win over defending champions India. Rakibul Hasan was unbeaten on nine.
India's cricketing battles with Bangladesh have been filled with acrimony since 2015 World Cup quarterfinal at the MCG and it had only amplified with the kind of unruly behaviour that some of the Bangladeshi players displayed.
On Sunday too, a few players from both sides nearly came to blows at the end of the game and it was India coach Paras Mhambrey, who was seen urging his boys to keep calm as opposition leading pacer Shoriful Islam was seen swearing expletives on camera.
However, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi almost turned the low-scoring match on its head with a sensational spell, taking 4/30 in his 10 overs. But the others were guilty of spraying the ball around, as evident from the 33 extras conceded, including a whopping 19 runs in wides.
Parvez Hossain Emon, who top-scored with 47, had to retire hurt on 25 in the 13th over because of cramps. It proved to be the opening India were looking for, as Bishnoi spun a web around the Bangladeshi batsmen.
Emon returned at the fall of the sixth wicket—Avishek Das (5)—and, despite the cramps, threatened to run away with the match with a 41-run partnership with Akbar Ali for the seventh wicket. But Yashasvi Jaiswal provided the crucial breakthrough, getting him to drive straight into the hands of the extra cover fielder.
But Ali ensured that Emon's innings did not go in vain.
Earlier, after being put into bat, India suffered a dramatic middle-order collapse, losing their last seven wickets for a mere 21 runs, to be bowled out for 177 in 47.2 overs.
Opener and India's batting star Yashasvi Jaiswal top-scored with 88. In fact, it was his dismissal in the 40th over, with the score reading 156, that sparked panic in the Indian ranks.
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For Bangladesh, pacer Avishek Das took 3/40 in his 10 overs. He was ably supported by fellow pacers Shoriful Islam and Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who took two wickets apiece. Islam, in particular, bowled a hostile spell to hasten India's collapse.
Only 23 came off the first 10 overs and India never recovered from the slow start despite a sedate 93-run stand between Jaiswal and N.T. Tilak Verma (38 off 65 balls) in 23.2 overs. Jaiswal's inability to force the pace throughout the entire innings did cost India and he was finally snuffed out by Shoriful as he mistimed a pull-shot. His innings had eight fours and a six and finished the tournament with 400 runs.
Once Jaiswal was out, the distinct lack of match-time for other Indian batsmen was evident with skipper Priyam Garg (7) showing rustiness.
Siddhesh Veer (0) was gone off next ball by Shoriful and Dhruv Jurel (22 off 38 balls) lacked partners and was run-out after a horrible mix-up with Atharva Ankolekar (3).
Atharva, the hero of the Australia game, was then played on and India finished with a below-par score.
(With PTI inputs)
