Sachin Dhas and skipper Uday Saharan emerged as the key figures as India secured a dominant 132-run victory over Nepal in their last Super Six Group 1 encounter. Their impressive performances laid the foundation for India’s advancement to the semifinals of the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Bloemfontein on February 2nd.
Dhas (116 runs off 101 balls) and Saharan (100 runs off 107 balls) formed a potent partnership, contributing 215 runs off 202 balls. This collaboration propelled India from a precarious position of 62/3 to a commanding 297/5 after choosing to bat first.
With this victory, the tournament favorites have accumulated eight points. Subsequently, they restricted the Himalayan nation to 165 for nine. As a result, India is now poised to encounter South Africa in the semifinals, scheduled to take place at Benoni on Tuesday.
Nevertheless, Nepal began their chase with vigor, reaching 65 for 1 by the 14th over. However, their momentum took a sharp downturn as they stumbled, losing six wickets in quick succession, plummeting to 77 for 7 by the 28th over.
Saumy Pandey, the left-arm spinner, has surged to the second position in the tournament’s highest wicket-taker list, boasting a tally of 16 wickets. His impressive performance of 4 wickets for 29 runs in 10 overs ignited the collapse for Nepal.
Despite the adversity, Nepal found a glimmer of hope in the unbroken last-wicket partnership. Aakash Chand (18 not out) and Durgesh Gupta (29 not out) combined effectively, adding 45 runs and ensuring Nepal reached the end of their innings with all their overs intact.
Before Pandey took the stage, the downfall was initiated by new ball bowler Raj Limbani, who dismissed Deepak Bohara after he managed to score 22 runs off 42 balls.
Bohara’s attempt at a big shot ended in him becoming a victim of pace, offering a simple return catch to the bowler.
Pandey swiftly joined the action.
Firstly, he claimed the wicket of Uttam Magar (8), who struggled to find gaps and fell while attempting an aggressive shot, finding the fielder at mid-on.
Pandey then delivered what could be considered the ball of the match, clean-bowling Arjun Kumal (26). The delivery, with some bounce, straightened to hit the inside of the off-stump.
The Nepalese batting order continued to crumble under relentless pressure.
With the score at 77/7 in 27.5 overs, skipper Dev Khanal delayed the inevitable with a valiant 33 from 53 balls.
However, India struggled to wrap up the issue at this stage, which could have given them a fourth successive victory with a margin of over 200 runs in this event.
There was also an injury scare for the Indians as regular wicketkeeper-batter Aravalli Avanish had to leave the field due to a right-hand injury, with Innesh Mahajan taking over the wicketkeeping duties.
In the earlier stages, India got off to a brisk start with Adarsh Singh scoring 21 off 18 balls before falling prey to Gulsan Jha’s short ball tactic.
Singh edged one down the leg side and was caught by wicketkeeper Magar, as Nepal made early inroads during the first powerplay.
The Indian team faced a setback with the quick dismissals of Arshin Kulkarni (18) and Priyanshu Moliya (19) within a span of three deliveries.
Yet, the game’s dynamics took a dramatic turn with a pivotal partnership between captain Saharan and Dhas.
Saharan played the role of anchor, supporting the aggressive Dhas.
Elevated to the No. 5 position due to early wickets falling, Dhas dominated the day with his controlled yet assertive batting.
Unlike his usual placement at No. 6 or 7 in previous matches, today Dhas immediately stamped his authority on the game.
Hailing from Maharashtra, Dhas demonstrated a sharp eye for exploiting loose deliveries and targeting specific bowlers and field placements to accumulate runs.
His positive approach allowed him to dictate play, scoring runs around the wicket and keeping the opposition bowlers under pressure.
Dhas managed his innings expertly, reaching his maiden fifty of the tournament in just 50 deliveries.
Off-spinner Khanal tried to rein in Dhas by adjusting his length, but Dhas countered with a stunning pull shot over wide long-on for a six, showcasing his prowess in clean hitting.
Dhas treated the audience to a delightful inside-out shot against off-spinner Bhandari, the boundary catapulting him to 99 runs.
Without wasting a moment, in the following delivery, he elegantly guided the ball to long-on, achieving a well-deserved century off just 93 balls.
