Mount Maunganui, January 19: India finished their engagements in Group B of the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2018 with a thumping 10-wicket win over Zimbabwe here on Friday (January 19).
Batting by choice, Zimbabwe did not have much answers to the guile of Indian bowlers, especially against left-arm spinner Anukul Roy. Roy's four-wicket haul (4-20) in 7.1 overs conceding 20 runs broke the Africans as they were skittled out for 154 in 48.4 overs.
ICC U-19 WC: India spinner Anukul Roy was reluctant to bowl in his early days
That total was never going to test the Indians, packed with heavy artillery. They romped home in just 21.4 overs without losing a wicket. Openers Harvik Desai (56, 73b, 8x4, 1x6) and Shubman Gill (90, 59b, 14x4, 1x6) made light work of the target.
Another dominant India win at #U19CWC! Shubman Gill (90*) and Harvik Desai (56*) guide India to their target in just 21.4 overs for their second consecutive 10 wicket win at the tournament! #INDvZIM
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) January 19, 2018
Scorecard ➡️ https://t.co/NlHYDKWP5E pic.twitter.com/ty0v9lwZLN
Gill later was adjudged man of the match for his quality knock.
His 90* off 59 sped India to another big win - Shubman Gill is the #INDvZIM Player of the Match! #U19CWC pic.twitter.com/R4mge2w5S1
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) January 19, 2018
Zimbabwe tried as many as eight bowlers in their effort to break the partnership and make a match of it but none of them were effective against the Indians.
But the Indian bowlers wrote a different story. Opener Wesley Madhevere (30), Milton Shumba (36) and captain Liam Roche (31) got starts but failed to keep away the nagging Indian bowlers.
Shumba and Roche added 49 runs for the fourth wicket and just as the alliance taking a definite shape, Roy stepped in and dismissed Shumba. He then jettisoned Roche and Robert Chimhinya in the space of seven runs as Zimbabwe slid to 117 for six - a position from which they never recovered.
Roy had taken five wickets (5-14) against Papua New Guinea in the last match and now the Jharkhand lad has 10 wickets from three matches to sit on top of the list of bowlers in this tournament.