Batting first, India U19 posted a commanding 352/8 in their 50 overs, riding on a superb century from Vihaan Malhotra.
Vihaan Malhotra hits century as India post 352 vs Zimbabwe (PC: x.com)
India U19 and Zimbabwe U19 are facing off in their first match of the Super Six stage, with India aiming to strengthen their push for a semi-final spot. The contest is being played at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, where Zimbabwe skipper Simbarashe Mudzengerere won the toss and opted to bowl on Tuesday.
Batting first, India U19 posted a commanding 352/8 in their 50 overs, riding on a superb century from Vihaan Malhotra. The right-hander anchored the innings with a composed 109 off 107 balls, laced with seven boundaries. Fourteen-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi set the tone at the top with a blistering 52 off 30 balls, giving the hosts a daunting target of 353, a challenging task for Zimbabwe.
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India’s innings got off to a brisk start, led once again by Suryavanshi, who showcased his class in the powerplay. The left-hander stitched together a crucial partnership with skipper Ayush Mhatre, dominating the early exchanges and putting immediate pressure on the Zimbabwean bowlers. Suryavanshi brought up a rapid half-century off just 24 balls before Zimbabwe clawed their way back into the contest.
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The fightback came through Tatenda Chimugoro, who struck twice in quick succession. Suryavanshi was dismissed for 52, with his shot landing straight into the hands of Mudzengerere at mid-off. In the same over, Chimugoro removed captain Mhatre for 21 in the 11th over, dealing India a double blow.
Earlier, India had lost their first wicket when Aaron George was dismissed for 23 off 16 balls by Panashe Mazai.
Following the early setbacks, India rebuilt through a strong middle-order partnership between Vihaan Malhotra and Abhigyan Kundu. Malhotra took 57 balls to bring up his half-century, while Kundu played a fluent knock, reaching his fifty in just 48 balls. Kundu eventually scored 61 off 62 deliveries, hitting back-to-back boundaries off Webster Madhidhi to raise his milestone. The duo’s steady stand kept India on course for a massive total.
India accelerated in the final phase of the innings, with Khilan A. Patel providing the late flourish with a quickfire 30 off 12 balls, while R.S. Ambrish chipped in with 21 off 28 deliveries, pushing the total past the 350-run mark.
India entered the Super Six stage with an unbeaten record, having registered victories over the USA, Bangladesh and New Zealand in the group stage. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, qualified for the Super Six phase on the basis of a superior net run rate, despite failing to register a win in the group stage.
The Super Six stage features 12 teams, with India placed in Group Two alongside England, Pakistan, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Zimbabwe. Each team will play two matches in this phase. India are scheduled to face Pakistan U19 in their next Super Six fixture on Sunday, February 1, while Zimbabwe will take on Bangladesh on January 31.
India come into this contest on the back of a seven-wicket win over New Zealand in their final group-stage match, which was decided by the DLS method after rain reduced the game to 37 overs per side. New Zealand were bowled out for 135 in 36.2 overs in that encounter.
The India U19 vs. Zimbabwe U19 Super Six match is being broadcast live in India across the Star Sports Network. Fans can watch the action on Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 1, and Star Sports Select 2.
Live streaming of the match is available on the JioHotstar app and website, with a valid subscription required to access the stream.
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