Vihaan Malhotra's Stellar Bowling Leads India to Victory Over Bangladesh in U19 World Cup

India Triumphs in Rain-Impacted U19 World Cup Match

In a thrilling Under-19 World Cup encounter, off-spinner Vihaan Malhotra delivered an outstanding performance, claiming 4 wickets for just 14 runs, which catalyzed a dramatic collapse in the Bangladesh batting lineup. India secured an 18-run victory using the DLS method on Saturday.

Bangladesh, who had bowled India out for 238 in a curtailed 49-over match, seemed to be in a strong position during their chase. However, they suffered a shocking downfall, losing eight wickets for a mere 40 runs, turning a promising situation into a defeat. This marked India's second consecutive win in the tournament.

Bangladesh was ultimately dismissed for 146 runs in 28.3 overs, falling short of the revised target of 165 runs from 29 overs.

At the conclusion of the match, players from both teams exchanged handshakes and friendly gestures, despite the captains having skipped the customary pre-match handshake.

With this victory, India leads Group B with four points from two matches, while both Bangladesh and the USA are yet to score. New Zealand has yet to commence their campaign in this group.

After a rain delay that lasted over an hour and a half, Bangladesh was set a revised target of 165 runs from 29 overs. They started strong, reaching 102 for 2 after 20 overs, comfortably ahead of the DLS par score of 88.

However, a remarkable collapse ensued, primarily due to Malhotra's disciplined off-spin bowling, complemented by timely wickets from his teammates.

Malhotra, who had previously struggled with the bat, found his rhythm and dismantled the middle order, taking out Kalam Siddiki (15), Sheikh Parvez Jibon (7), Rizan Hossan (15), and Samiun Basir (2) in a pivotal spell that shifted the momentum in India's favor.

Bangladesh lost five wickets in just 33 balls as panic set in among the players.

Left-arm spinner Khilan Patel dealt a crucial blow by dismissing Bangladesh's captain Azizul Hakim, who had been the top scorer with a steady 51 runs off 72 balls (4 fours, 1 six).

Hakim, mindful of the DLS calculations, had played a composed innings but misjudged a waist-high full toss from Khilan, attempting to clear long-on but instead finding a fielder in the deep, effectively ending Bangladesh's resistance.

Henil Patel then finished off the tail by taking out Iqbal Hossain Emon, leading to Bangladesh's total of 146 runs in 28.3 overs, well below the revised target, thus sealing India's victory.

Earlier in the match, Bangladesh's chase had started positively despite an early setback when Deepesh Devendran dismissed Zawad Abrar in the first over.

A solid partnership of over fifty runs between Rifat Beg and Hakim had put Bangladesh on track, with Beg scoring an aggressive 37 runs off 37 balls, including four fours and a six, notably lofting a shot over deep square leg off off-spinner Kanishk Chouhan.

With Hakim anchoring the innings and the run rate under control, Bangladesh appeared to be in a good position until Malhotra's intervention changed the game's dynamics.

This collapse overshadowed an impressive bowling display from Bangladesh pacer Al Fahad, who took five wickets and set the stage for the contest.

India's innings was anchored by Abhigyan Kundu and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, both of whom scored crucial half-centuries after Bangladesh opted to bowl first in overcast conditions.

Vaibhav, known for his aggressive style, played a surprisingly restrained innings, scoring 72 runs off 67 balls with six fours and three sixes after India lost two wickets in quick succession.

Kundu contributed a measured 80 runs off 112 balls, hitting four fours and three sixes, and capitalized on two reprieves to help India surpass the 200-run mark. The duo added 62 runs off 101 balls to stabilize the innings following an early collapse.

Fahad had earlier troubled India by taking out skipper Ayush Mhatre and Vedant Trivedi in rapid succession, while Azizul Hakim also performed well with figures of 2 for 42, including the wicket of Kanishk Chouhan, who scored a brisk 28 during a 54-run partnership with Kundu.

India was eventually bowled out for 238 runs in 48.4 overs after a rain interruption reduced their innings to 49 overs.

Brief scores:

India 238 in 48.4 overs (Abhigyan Kundu 80, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 72; Al Fahad 5/38, Iqbal Hossain Emon 2/45, Azizul Hakim 2/42) defeated Bangladesh 146 in 28.3 overs (Azizul Hakim 51; Vihaan Malhotra 4/14, Khilan Patel 2/35) by 18 runs via DLS method.