India lifts U19 World Cup for 5th time

Antigua: India won the ICC Men's U19 World Champions for the fifth time after they defeated England by four wickets with the help of splendid fifties by Shaik Rasheed and Nishant Sindhu in the finals of the tournament at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Saturday.

Wicketkeeper Dinesh Bana (13 not out) wrapped up the game for India by picking up James Sales over long leg for a six. India had 190 to chase, but the Englishmen put a tight leash to keep them under the pump.

They got Angkrish Raghuvanshi (0) first ball of his defence, but Rasheed (50) and Harnoor Singh (21) stabilised. Rasheed was struggling with cramps a couple of times, but valiantly batted through and scored his second consecutive fifties in the tournament.

James Sales gave some hope to England by getting Rasheed and Captain Yash Dhull (17) in the space of three balls. After losing four wickets, Nishant (50 not out) and Raj Bawa (35) put on a crucial 67-run stand for the fifth wicket that pushed England on the backfoot.

But Tom Prest and company bounced back with two quick wickets. Bawa joined legendary Kapil Dev in the elusive list of players to hit a 150-plus score and take a five-wicket haul in the same ICC event.

Kapil had achieved the feat in the 1983 World Cup. Bana walked in and closed the deal and won the World Cup with two sweet hits over the fence for maximum.

For England, Joshua Boyden and Thomas Aspinwall showed good form and took two wickets each. James Sales also scalped two wickets. Earlier, exceptional bowling performances from Raj Bawa and Ravi Kumar helped India restrict England to 189 runs in the final at Antigua.

Bawa and Kumar finished with 5 for 31 and 4 for 34, respectively as they wreaked havoc early on, reducing England to 91 for 7. At that time, the game looked done and dusted, but a sensational fightback by James Rew (95 off 116) and James Sales (34 not out), kept the hopes alive for England.

Both the batsmen stood tall amid the ruins to stitch a 93-run partnership for 8th wicket, but Bawa and Kumar returned with a bang, taking the last three wickets quickly as England folded their innings at 189.

This was the first time that England were bowled out in the tournament.

Batting first, England surrendered to Kumar and Bawa, putting India in a commanding position.

Kumar picked up two early wickets. First he trapped opener Jacob Bethell (2) and then castled England Captain Tom Preston for a duck.

Bawa also joined the party by removing a well-set George Thomas for 27. He inflicted further misery on England by removing William Luxton and George Bell on consecutive deliveries. (UNI)