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India set up an ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022 Super League semi-final clash with Australia after knocking out defending champions Bangladesh.
In a repeat of the 2020 Final, India bowled first and dismissed the Tigers for 111 at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua and Barbuda before their batters chased down the modest target for the loss of five wickets.
On a day where bowling first proved decisive, Ireland beat Zimbabwe by eight wickets to seal their path through to the Plate Final, where they will face United Arab Emirates.
Toss proves vital as India power through
India have a remarkably strong record in ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup quarter-finals, with this their seventh win in nine matches – and they had their bowlers to thank.
India batted first in each of their Group B matches but this time their bowlers had the chance to set the tone after they won the toss.
Deciding to field proved a masterstroke and Ravi Kumar ripped through the top order. The 18-year-old had taken just one wicket in the tournament but finished with figures of three for 14 from seven overs here, as he dismissed the top three Bangladesh batters to leave the defending champions on 14 for three.
Bangladesh struggled to get a foothold in the match and slipped to 56 for seven, before Meherob Hasan came in and hit six boundaries in a crucial 30.
However, just two other Bangladesh batters reached double figures and they were eventually all out for 111.
India hoped for a comfortable run chase but they got off to a bad start when Bangladesh bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib removed opener Harnoor Singh for a duck.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi (44) and Shaik Rasheed (26) put on 70 for the second wicket to seemingly secure victory, but Bangladesh threatened a late comeback.
Ripon Mondol had Raghuvanshi caught at cover point and then returned two overs later to remove Rasheed, caught behind. New batter Siddarth Yadav then became Ripon’s third wicket when he was caught at cover to leave India on 82 for four.
Captain Yash Dhull came to the crease and hit four boundaries to calm the nerves, around Ripon dismissing Raj Bawa to take his final figures to four for 31, before Kaushal Tambe heaved a six into the stands to seal victory with 115 balls remaining.
Huge stand sends Ireland through
Jack Dickson and Tim Tector put on a batting masterclass with a 159-run partnership and Muzamil Sherzad took five wickets as Ireland comfortably beat Zimbabwe by eight wickets to reach the Plate Final.
Zimbabwe won the toss in Port of Spain and elected to bat but they made a slow start, with Matthew Welch run out for a nine-ball duck and captain Emmanuel Bawa trapped lbw by Matthew Humphreys for four.
Steven Saul (24) and Brian Bennett (37) put on 52 for the third wicket before Saul was clean bowled by Humphrey, while Bennett became the first of Sherzad’s victims eight overs later.
David Bennett hit three boundaries in his 35 but he had little support down the order, as Zimbabwe were eventually dismissed for 166 in 48.4 overs.
Sherzad was the pick of the Ireland bowlers, taking his tournament wicket tally to 13 with five for 20.
Zimbabwe made an equally strong start with the ball, as Mcgini Dube had Nathan McGuire caught in just the third over for six.
Joshua Cox then followed McGuire back to the pavilion as he was trapped lbw by Tendekai Mataranyika for a duck but Ireland quickly settled down.
But Dickson and skipper Tector quickly developed a partnership and they went on to see Ireland over the line, with Dickson finishing 78 not out and Tector 76 not out in an unbeaten third-wicket stand of 159.