U19 World Cup: India hammer Uganda by 326 runs, to face Bangladesh in quarter-finals

U19 World Cup: Raj Bawa and Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s centuries and Nishant Sindhu’s four-wicket haul helped India thrash minnows Uganda by a massive margin of 326 runs to seal a place in the quarter-finals where they face defending champions Bangladesh.

Bawa and Raghuvanshi put up a partnership of 206 runs that came in just 140 balls for the third wicket. (Courtesy of BCCI)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • It was India’s largest win in the history of the tournament
  • India have won all three of their league games
  • India posted 405/5 which is the highest total in this edition

Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Raj Bawa smashed centuries as four-time champions India recorded a thumping 326-run win over minnows Uganda to top Group B in the U19 World Cup, in Tarouba, Trinidad.

The victory on Saturday was India’s largest win in tournament history.

The Hrishikesh Kanitkar-coached side thus ended the league stage with three wins in as many games, having earlier thrashed South Africa U19 (by 45 runs) and Ireland U19 (by 174 runs).

Put into bat at the picturesque Brian Lara stadium, India colts first rode on hundreds from Bawa (162 not out off 108 balls) and opener Raghuvanshi (144 off 120 balls) to post a mammoth 405/5, the highest total in this edition.

They then bundled out the opposition for a meager 79 in 19.4 overs to eke out an easy win in a lop-sided affair.

India play their quarterfinals against Bangladesh on January 29, allowing their COVID-19 infected players including skipper Yash Dhull enough time to recover.

Raghuvanshi and Bawa shared 206 runs for the third wicket to take the game away from Uganda.

It was raining boundaries and sixes as Raghuvanshi hit 22 fours and four sixes, while Bawa, who came in at number four, decorated his innings with 14 fours and as many as eight hits over the fence.

After Raghuvanshi’s departure in the 38th over, Bawa continued with his attacking instinct and clobbered the Uganda bowlers to all parts of the ground.

Chasing an insurmountable 406, Uganda were teetering at 17/3 as one-down wicket-keeper Cyrus Kakuru (0), Brian Asaba (5) and Ronald Lutayaa (5) fell cheaply inside first four overs after opener Issac Ategeka (0) was retired out.

While inform pacer Rajvadhan Hangargekar (2/8) accounted for Kakuru’s and Asaba’s wickets, right-arm medium pacer Vasu Vats (1/18) removed Lutayaa, who was caught by Nishant Sindhu.

Stand-in-skipper Sindhu (4/19), himself a left-arm spinner, then castled Ronald Opio (11), to take his first, as Uganda lost their fourth wicket for 46.

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