Under-19 World Cup: Despite lapses, India sail

Despite dropped catches and missed run-out chances, Ishan Kishan-led India stormed into the ICC Under-19 World Cup by defeating Sri Lanka at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur on Tuesday.

Such has been India's dominating performance that despite these lapses on the field, and a slow start after India were put in to bat, the three-time champions won by 97 runs. In Sunday's final, India await the winner of the second semifinal between Bangladesh and West Indies that will be played on Thursday.

Riding on responsible half-centuries from player-of-the-match Anmolpreet Singh (72, 92 balls, 6x4, 1x6) and in-form Sarfaraz Khan (59, 71 balls, 6x4, 1x6), and their 96-run partnership for the third wicket, India posted 267/9 in 50 overs. Useful contributions from Washington Sundar (43, 45 balls, 3x4) and Armaan Jaffer (29, 16 balls, 3x4, 1x6) helped India go past 250.

In reply, left-arm spinner Mayank Dagar picked up 3/21 while India's leading wicket-taker in the competition, right-arm medium-pacer Avesh Khan took 2/41 to help India dismiss the Lankans for 170 in 42.4 overs.

Put in to bat on an overcast morning, India were under pressure right away with their formidable opening pair of Rishabh Pant and Kishan falling cheaply to leave their team at 27/2 in the 10th over. Batting was not easy but Anmolpreet and Sarfaraz, who scored his fourth half-century in five matches, steadied the ship during their 126-ball partnership.

Anmolpreet stitched another handy 70-run partnership with Sundar after a tired-looking Sarfaraz gave away a wicket when a century was on the cards.

When India needed the push in the death overs, Dagar gave that impetus with a 10-ball 17.

In defending the target, the Indian bowlers did not allow the Lankan chase to take off. Avesh Khan struck in the very first over, dismissing Avishka Fernando leg before wicket just shortly after a similar delivery was given not out as it seemed like missing the leg stump. Soon after, the run out of Kaveen Bandara, courtesy Avesh's throw from the deep to wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant, made it 13/2 in the fourth over.

Sri Lanka slipped to 42/3 following the loss of skipper and star batsman Charith Asalanka in the 10th over, before Kamindu Mendis (39) and Shammu Ashan (38) engineered a brief recovery.

Sri Lanka's hopes of reaching their second ever final were all but over when the scoreboard read 133/6 in the 35th over.

Once Dagar had Mendis caught off a top-edged sweep and Ashan ran himself out, Sri Lanka caved in tamely against the steady India bowlers.

With things going India's way, vice-captain and wicketkeeper Pant was given a warning for being so noisy behind the stumps, distracting the Sri Lankan batsmen.

"To enter the final unbeaten in the tournament so far shows we have executed our plans well," said Kishan. "Anmolpreet and Sarfaraz brought us back in our innings and then the bowlers kept the pressure to restrict Sri Lanka. The final will be a new game. We have to prepare well and be ready for the challenge."

Asalanka said his team allowed the match to slip away after pinning India against the ropes. "I thought we did well to restrict the Indians both at the start and the end of their innings," the Sri Lankan captain said. "But then we let slip the advantage. The target was not difficult, but we kept losing wickets. No one stayed long enough to take us through."

SCORECARD
India: R Pant c de Silva b A Fernando 14, I Kishan c de Silva b Kumara 7, A Singh c de Silva b Nimesh 72, S Khan c Ashan b A Fernando 59, W Sundar c de Silva b Nimesh 43, A Jaffer c Asalanka b A Fernando 29, M Lomror c Kumara b A Fernando 11, M Dagar c de Silva b Kumara 17, R Batham run out (Kumara) 1, A Khan not out 1, K Ahmed 0; Extras (B4, W9) 13; Total (9 wickets; 50 overs) 267 (5.34 runs per over); FoW: 1-23 (Pant, 8.1 ov), 2-27 (Kishan, 9.2 ov), 3-123 (S Khan, 30.2 ov), 4-193 (Singh, 42.1 ov), 5-218 (Sundar, 44.6 ov), 6-241 (Jaffer, 46.5 ov), 7-254 (Lomror, 48.3 ov), 8-260 (Batham, 49.1 ov), 9-264 (Dagar, 49.3 ov); Bowling: A Fernando 10-0-43-4 (W6), L Kumara 10-0-50-2 (W3), T Nimesh 10-0-50-2, H de Silva 4-0-20-0, D Silva 7-0-31-0, K Mendis 1-0-10-0, C Asalanka 8-0-59-0

Sri Lanka (target: 268): K Bandara run out (A Khan) 2, W Fernando lbw b A Khan 4, K Mendis c Sundar b Dagar 39, C Asalanka c Lomror b Batham 6, S Ashan run out (Kishan) 38, P de Silva c Pant b A Khan 28, D Silva b Sundar 24, H de Silva c A Khan b Ahmed 8, T Nimesh c Khan b Dagar 7, L Kumara not out 0, A Fernando c Singh b Dagar 0; Extras (LB5, W8, NB1) 14; Total (all out; 42.4 overs) 170 (3.98 runs per over); FoW: 1-5 (W Fernando, 0.6 ov), 2-13 (Bandara, 3.2 ov), 3-42 (Asalanka, 9.5 ov), 4-91 (Mendis, 23.4 ov), 5-108 (Ashan, 27.4 ov), 6-133 (P de Silva, 34.1 ov), 7-149 (H de Silva, 37.1 ov), 8-170 (Silva, 41.3 ov), 9-170 (Nimesh, 42.2 ov), 10-170 (A Fernando, 42.4 ov); Bowling: A Khan 9-0-41-2 (W3), K Ahmed 8-1-34-1 (NB1, W4), R Batham 6.5-1-19-1, W Sundar 7-0-27-1 (W1), S Khan 4.4-0-16-0, M Dagar 5.4-0-21-3, M Lomror 0.3-0-1-0, A Singh 1-0-6-0
INDIA WIN BY 97 RUNS

OTHER RESULTS
5th place play-off semifinal: Pakistan 258/8 in 50 overs (H Mohsin 117, S Badar 88; S Lamichhane 3/53, D Airee 2/44) bt Nepal 136 in 43.5 overs (P Tamang 65; H Mohsin 4/42, Saif Ali 2/9) by 122 runs; 9th place play-off semifinal: New Zealand 135 in 44.5 overs (A Parikh 48; Shamsurrahman 3/37, R Khan 3/30) lost to Afghanistan 137/2 in 27.3 overs (T Stanikzai 50, I Janat 47; A Parikh 2/50) by eight wickets
Playing today: England vs Namibia (Live on Star Sports 1, 8 am), Ireland vs Scotland

N ZONE
15
No. of games the India U-19 team has now won in a row. Out of the 21 games the colts have played since 2014, they have won 20

MOST U-19 WC FINALS
5: India, Pakistan
4: Australia
3: South Africa
1: England, NZ, SL, WI