ST. JOHN’S, Antigua - AFTER six weeks of play, the Finals of the 2022 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup is set and will be played between two of the tournament’s favourite teams: India and England.
In a one-sided contest at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, it was India that proved to be the dominant side in the game, continuing with theit winning streak when they took down Australia to a 96-run defeat.
The win has propelled the Indians to their eight Finals in the tournament’s history and their fourth in a row.
After winning the toss and electing to bat on a surface that offered assistance to the bowlers upfront, a patient innings from Shaik Rasheed and Captain Yash Dhull saw India posting a mammoth 290 for 5 off their 50 overs.
Dhull led from the front with a crafty one day inning, stroking 110 runs from a similar amount of deliveries, and he was ably supported by Rasheed who blasted a cheeky 94 from 108 balls.
The two put together a 204 run partnership after they came together in the 12th over with the score on 37 for 2.
The partnership was eventually broken in the 46th over when Dhull was runout, and the momentum was then slowed after Rasheed fell on the very next delivery. In the end, India limped to 290.
That score proved too much for the Australians as they lost wickets regularly, with no substantial partnership to lead the chase.
Australia’s middle order batsman Lachlan Shaw was the only one to put up some resistance to the Indian bowlers. He made 51 from 66 balls, but his inning was not enough in the end.
Vicky Ostwal was the pick of the bowlers for the Indians, bagging 3 for 42 from his allotted 10 overs. He was supported by Ravi Kumar and Nishant Sindhu who bagged two wickets each.
India will no take on England for the title on Saturday (Feb. 5).
Action continues today (Feb. 3) with two more placement games in the competition.
For the 5th/6th place playoff, Pakistan will take on Sri Lanka at the Sir Vivian Richards Ground, while Bangladesh will battle against South Africa in the 7th/8th place playoff at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.
