Long before rain lashed the pitch, a hurricane named Henil Patel tore through the USA’s batting at Bulawayo’s Queens Sports Club. His five-wicket haul pinned the underdogs to a total of just 107. For India, the chase seemed a gentle cruise in comparison, but the USA bowlers gave themselves a chance by dismissing Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi early.
A composed Abhigyan Kundu (42 not out) ensured India chased down the revised target of 96 with six wickets in hand via the DLS method and got the team off to a winning start in Group B of the ICC U-19 World Cup.
India made a couple of interesting selection calls. Aaron George, India’s second most in-form batter after Sooryavanshi, was benched, as Vedant Trivedi came in. Harvansh Pangalia was preferred over Mohamed Enaan. In the end, the selections mattered little, as India secured the desired result.
Overcast conditions and moisture on the pitch prompted Mhatre to field first. It did not take long for the bowlers to make an impact. Henil removed in-form opener Amrinder Gill in his first over with an out-swinging delivery. The tall right-arm seamer looked in rhythm as he got the ball to move in the air and off the seam. Bowling a good length, Henil extracted bounce and consistently shaped the ball away from the right-handers to claim three wickets in his first spell. Mhatre’s decision to give Henil an extra over paid off, as he picked up two more wickets in his sixth over, leaving the USA in tatters.
When he returned for his second spell, Henil bounced out one batter and then bowled another to complete his five-wicket haul. He was relentless from start to finish.
The USA batters were offered no loose deliveries. While Henil kept challenging them in the corridor of uncertainty with the new ball, Deepesh Devendran banged it in short, making full use of his height and posing a different challenge. Deepesh was rewarded for his short-ball tactic with the wicket of Sahil Raj.
RS Ambrish, India’s only seam-bowling all-rounder, maintained pressure by bowling tight lines during the middle overs. The right-arm seamer broke the USA’s biggest partnership, worth 30 runs, by dismissing Adnit Jhamb. Sooryavanshi and Khilan Patel chipped in with a wicket apiece.
For the USA, only Nitish Sudani looked comfortable, while the rest struggled with the bounce. Barring a couple of slip-ups, including a dropped catch, India’s fielding was excellent.
Rain, coupled with lightning, caused a long break before play resumed. The target was reduced to 96. It looked easy on paper, but the USA bowlers struck immediately. Ritvik Appidi claimed the first two wickets. Sooryavanshi fell for two after attempting a reckless shot on the leg side off a short delivery. In the first over after the break, Trivedi offered a straight catch to point. Mhatre, who was given a reprieve of the first ball, looked set but was dismissed by a sharp bouncer from left-arm pacer Rishabh Shimpi.
At 25/3, India were under pressure. Kundu played two elegant on-drives, while Vihaan Malhotra executed a beautiful backfoot punch, easing the nerves of the fans. The two left-handed batters added 45 runs for the fourth wicket, bringing the team to a safer position. Kundu anchored the innings, playing responsibly while punishing loose deliveries. Fittingly, the wicket-keeper batter finished the game with a six.
Brief scores: USA 107 in 35.2 overs (Nitish Sudini 36; Henil Patel 5/16) lost to India 99/4 in 17.2 overs (Abhigyan Kundu 42 not out; Ritvik Appidi 2/24) by six wickets via DLS method.
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