India managed to clinch a record-extending fifth title at Antigua last Sunday. The extraordinary performance of the ‘Men in Blue’ helped them shoot England out for 189 and post that, defeat them by four wickets. Vital contributions from most of the members helped India add a fifth title to their collection, having previously won trophies in 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2018.
The record spells
To avoid the scoreboard pressure in the final match, England’s captain Tom Prest decided to bat first. The decision didn’t favor the English batters as the Indians were all over them. They kept taking wickets right from the beginning and didn’t let the intensity of the team drop even for a minute.
Ravi Kumar (4/34) laid the opposition low with two early blows through his left-arm seam bowling, while Raj Bawa’s medium pace, bowled to a deadly effect, ran through the English middle-order. It helped India maintain the intensity while taking wickets at regular intervals. Bawa shone with the ball with a sensational fiver (5/31) which helped India shoot England out for 189. Against England in the final, his 5 for 31 turned out to be the best bowling figures for any player in a U-19 World Cup Final.
England were restricted to 91/7 in the 25th over, but the innings saw a single-handed resurrection of their innings by James Rew’s 116-ball 95 to help the side close in on 200. Both Rew and James Sales contributed in a vital 93-run partnership to take their team to a competitive total. The partnership defied India for close to 19 overs while ensuring that they recovered from the horrors of 61/6 and then 91/7.
The Chase
India lost Angrish Raghuvanshi early without affecting the scoreboard but post that, Shaik Rasheed and Harnoor Singh’s stay at the wicket steadied the run-chase to a greater extent with a 49-run stand. Rasheed departed after scoring a consecutive fifty and after building another vital partnership of 46 runs with skipper Yash Dhull. Dhull also perished after that, scoring just 17, which left India reeling at 97/4.
Raj Bawa and Nishant Sindhu added the most vital fifty-run stand at a time when India needed it the most before the former departed for 35. Sindhu went on to score a half-century, and Dinesh Bana finished it off in style with a six.
Player of the Match:
India’s Raj Angad Bawa was announced the Player of the Match. The Indian all-rounder picked 5/31, the best bowling figures for any player in the Final of the U-19 WC, and also scored crucial 35 runs with the bat to help his team in their four-wicket win.
Player of the Tournament:
South Africa’s Dewald Brevis broke all records to score 506 runs in only six innings. His tally is the most for any batter in any Under-19 World Cup ever, and he was named Player of the Tournament for his record-breaking show with the bat.