With a 74-run win over Australia at the Senwes Park in Potchefstroom on Tuesday, India entered the Under 19 World Cup semifinals.
Corey Kelly dismissed Divyaansh Saxena in the tenth over to give Australia Under 19 their first breakthrough after they elected to bowl. N Tilak Verma fell soon after as Australian Under 19 skipper Mackenzie Harvey took a fine catch off Todd Murphy’s bowling.
Connor Sully then dismissed Priyam Garg to reduce India Under 19 to 54/3.
While Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 62, and Dhruv Jurel were looking to rebuild the innings, Tanveer Sangha broke the 48-run stand, dismissing Jaiswal. India Under 19 then lost Jurel as Murphy struck for the second time in the match.
Siddhesh Veer and Atharva Ankolekar added 30 runs together to take India Under 19 close to 150 but Kelly broke the partnership, dismissing Veer for 25.
Ravi Bishnoi and Ankolekar though kept the Indian hopes alive. The pair added 61 runs to help the side cross the 200-run mark before Bishnoi got out for 30 in the 48th over. Ankolekar, who scored an unbeaten 55 off 54 balls, though made sure to stay in the middle till the end, helping India Under 19 post 233/9 runs on the board.
India Under 19 came out all guns blazing in the defence of their total as they struck thrice in the first over to reduce Australia Under 19 to 5/3.
Australia Under 19 lost their first wicket on the first ball as Jake Fraser-McGurk was run-out. Kartik Tyagi then got Mackenzie Harvey and Lachlan Hearne out on two successive deliveries. While he was denied a hat-trick, the right-arm pacer picked up another wicket in his second over, dismissing Oliver Davies.
Sam Fanning and Patrick Rowe then steadied the ship, adding 51 runs together. However, with Tyagi returning into the attack, Australia Under 19 lost Rowe for 21.
Liam Scott then joined Fanning in the middle and the two managed to keep their team's hopes alive, stitching an 81-run partnership from 119 balls.
However, Bishnoi broke that stand in the 41st over after Scott edged one to the wicketkeeper. Akash Singh then ended Fanning’s 127-ball 75-run vigil to give India Under 19 their seventh wicket.
Australia Under 19 were 155/7 when Fanning got out and India Under 19 picked up the last three wickets quickly to seal a 74-run win.
Brief Scores: India Under 19 233/9 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 62, Atharva Ankolekar 55*; Todd Murphy 2/40) beat Australia Under 19 159 all out (Sam Fanning 75, Liam Scott 35; Kartik Tyagi 4/24) by 74 runs
