The left and right arm pace combination of Saurabh Netravalkar and Sandeep Sharma guided the India Under 19 team to a comprehensive ten wicket win over the Sri Lanka Under 19 in the fifth match of the Under 19 Tri Nation cricket tournament played at St John’s College ground in Johannesburg yesterday.
The duo shared eight wickets between them with Netravalkar ending with impressive figures of 5 for 26 in his ten overs while Sharma finishing with a haul of 3 for 22.
The decision of opting to field after winning the toss taken by the India under 19 skipper Ashok Menaria spelt doom for the Sri Lanka Under 19 side. It was India’s third successive victory of the tournament.
The Indians who are the defending ICC Under 19 world champions have showed that they are the team to watch in the U19 World Cup due to get underway in another two weeks in New Zealand.
The Lankans began in an inauspicious way by losing their first wicket in the second over with just one run on the board. They never recovered from that debacle as they lost three more quick wickets in four overs which included three of their top order batsmen.
Reeling on 9 for 4 the batsmen following too were unable to make any headway due to some fine bowling between the two pacies. None of the Lankan teenagers were able to come into terms with devastating bowling skills of the duo.
At the end of the ninth over the Lankans were in dire straits on 23 for 5. They were made to work hard for their runs and survival, though they plodded for another 17 overs the Lankans were able to make only a pathetic score of just 52.
India in their run chase needed just 9.1 overs to reach the target with Mayank Agarwal leading the way with a 32 ball knock of 36 that included four boundaries and a six.
Sri Lanka came back into contention after losing two matches at a stretch with a comfortable 148 runs win over hosts South Africa. But now has put themselves in a spot of bother.
India with this win is virtually assured of a final berth. The second team in the final will be decided after the last round robin match due to be played between hosts South Africa and India today.
ScoreBoard
Sri Lanka U19
Bhanuka Rajapaksec and b Sharma 01
Andri Berengerrun out 00
Rumesh BuddikaAgarwal b Netravalkar 00
Udara Jayasundarac Shaikh b Netravalkar 06
Kithruwan Withanagec Unadkat b Netravalkar 15
Akshu Fernandolbw b Sharma 01
Dhanushka Gunatillekec and b Sharma 03
Rushan JaleelHarpreet Singh b Unadkat 10
Charith Jayampathic Rahul b Netravalkar 00
Chathura Peiris c Agarwal b Netravalkar 00
Maduka Liyanapathirananot out 03
Extra (w13) 13
Total(all out in 26.1 overs) 52
Fall – 1-1, 2-1, 3-8, 4-9, 5-33, 7-36, 8-39, 9-46.
Bowling – Sandeep Sharma 10-1-22-3, Suarbh Netravalkar 10-1-26-5, Jaidev Unadkat 3.1-2-2-1, Harpreet Singh 2-1-1-0, Harmeet Singh 1-0-1-0.
India U19 innings
Lokesh Rahulnot out 12
Mayank Agarwal not out 36
Extras (b1, w4) 05
Total (for no wickets in 9.1 overs) 53
Bowling – Chathura Peiris 3.1-0-16-0, Charith Jayampathi 3-0-11-0, Bhanuka Rajapakse 2-0-13-0, Udara Jayasundara 1-0-12-0. (MSA) |
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