U-19 World Cup: India trounce PNG to top group

Sharjah, Feb 19 (IANS) India skittled out Papua New Guinea (PNG) for 56 after amassing 301 for six at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium here Wednesday to top Group A in the ICC Under-19 World Cup.

Kuldeep Yadav claimed four wickets while Monu Kumar claimed three and Deepak Hooda pitched in with two wickets as India completed a massive 245-run win.

Earlier, after Vijay Zol opted to bat first, Ankush Bains and Akhil Herwadkar’s opening partnership was ended by Sakavai Gebai for 58. Zol then joined Bains in taking the team to 132 before being castled by Alei Nao. Seven runs later Bains top-edged Nao to depart for 59.

But with the stage already set, Sanju Samson, who had replaced Zol at the crease, accelerated the run rate with a 48-ball 85. The middle-order batsman clobbered the PNG bowlers as he raced to his half-century.

Samson commenced his onslaught by smashing Gebai for a six and a four. In the bowler’s next over he collected 23 runs. He had struck Gebai for four consecutive boundaries followed by a six and a single to end the over. Samson reached his fifty by hitting Joseph for a six over mid-wicket. His assault of the PNG bowlers continued as he piled on runs for India.

However, in the two overs before returning to the pavilion he was let off a couple of times at deep midwicket as he went for the big hits. With Shreyas Iyer at the other end Samson had added 116 runs for the fourth wicket until Nao ended the partnership.

Caught at long off by Gebai, Iyer departed for 36 runs. In the next over, with little over three overs left in the innings, Samson was caught at short fine leg off Morea. Sarfaraz Khan, who had come out to the middle at the fall of Iyer’s wicket, continued the fireworks. Remaining unbeaten, he slammed 34 off 18 balls while Aamir Gani was not out on two at the other end.

Sarfaraz lofted the last ball of the innings over long on to take the team past 300.

In the second over of the PNG innings, Monu Kumar dealt a double blow by rattling Kiplin Doriga and Raho Sam’s woodwork.

With PNG on three for two, the pacer was on a hat-trick but bowled a wide as he bowled at Dogodo Bau. Eleven overs later Kuldeep Yadav trapped Riley Hekure leg-before for 20 while Gani followed up with the wicket of Bau in the next.

With the top four back in the dressing room for 33, Allan Joseph joined Hiri Hiri in the middle but 19 runs was castled by Monu Kumar who was brought back into the attack. The wicket triggered another collapse. In the next over, Hiri edged Hooda to Sarfaraz while Tom Willie was out lbw two balls later.

Micah Pokana was sent back by Yadav in the following over while Morea perished taking the aerial route in the spinner’s in his next. Yadav then wrapped-up the PNG innings in his next over by dismantling Nao’s stumps in his next over.