The star of the match was top-order batter Musheer Khan, who showcased his exceptional skills by scoring his second century of the competition.
In a thrilling match held on Tuesday (30 January) in South Africa, former champions India dominated New Zealand, securing a resounding victory by 214 runs in their opening match of the Super Six stage of the 2024 ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
The star of the match was top-order batter Musheer Khan, who showcased his exceptional skills by scoring his second century of the competition. Musheer's outstanding performance included an impressive 126-ball 131, which featured an incredible display of power hitting, including 13 boundaries and three sixes. This remarkable innings helped India post a formidable total of 295/8 in 50 overs, despite a late fightback by the New Zealand U19 team.
Musheer's previous performances in the tournament had already established him as a force to be reckoned with. He had scored a brilliant 118 against Ireland in the group stage and followed it up with a solid knock of 73 against the USA in India's next match. His consistent run-scoring ability has undoubtedly played a crucial role in India's success so far.
However, it was not just Musheer who shone in this match. Left-arm spinner Saumy Pandey also made a significant impact, claiming impressive figures of 4-19. Pandey's exceptional bowling skills proved to be the downfall of the New Zealand team, as they were bowled out for a mere 81 runs in 28.1 overs. Only three Kiwi batters managed to reach double figures, highlighting the dominance of the Indian bowling attack.
The early loss of the previous games' centurion, Arshin Kulkarni, for nine runs did not deter India's approach in the first Powerplay after New Zealand won the toss and elected to field. Adarsh Singh (52) and Musheer Khan fearlessly went for their shots on a wicket that favored the batsmen, with the ball coming easily off the bat and the outfield being fast.
India's scoring rate remained steady at around six runs per over as they entered the second Powerplay. Both batsmen continued to attack, and India crossed the 100-run mark in the 17th over. Adarsh completed his fifty off 57 balls (including six boundaries) but was dismissed while attempting to pierce Zac past the covers.
Musheer, on the other hand, found a reliable partner in skipper Uday Saharan, and together they anchored the innings. In the 25th over, Musheer achieved his third consecutive fifty-plus score of the tournament, showcasing his exceptional form.
Oliver Tewatiya attempted a sweep but unfortunately ended up top-edging straight to the fielder. New Zealand successfully managed to restrict India's scoring rate to around five runs per over during the middle overs. The Indian team scored a total of 145 runs between the 11th and 40th overs.
Musheer's aggressive batting propelled India towards a potential score of 300. The talented 18-year-old batsman achieved his second consecutive century of the tournament in the 43rd over, taking 109 balls to reach the milestone. His innings included 10 boundaries and 1 six. Musheer then accelerated his scoring rate, adding an additional 31 runs off just 17 balls after reaching his century. During this period, he struck three fours and two sixes.
With 6 points from three games in the Super Six, India solidified their position at the top of Group 1. Their next match will be against Nepal at the same venue on February 2.
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