Bangladesh win their first World Cup, dethrone India to take U19 cricket crown

An epic captain’s knock by Akbar Ali has propelled Bangladesh to their maiden World Cup title with a nervy three-wicket victory over defending champions India in the final of the under-19 cricket tournament.

The wicketkeeper-batsman scored an unbeaten 43 off 77 as Rakibul Hasan hit the winning run after smashing the match-levelling boundary at Potchefstroom in South Africa on Sunday.

The young Tigers held their nerves in a tense chase in their first ever final as the rain stopped play and the DLS method kicked in. The revised target saw Bangladesh who were 163 for 7 in 41 overs require seven more runs in five overs from 15 in nine overs.

Bangladesh almost bungled the chase up as they made a heavy weather of the small target of 178 for victory.

Openers Parvez Hossain Emon (47 off 79) and Tanzid Hasan (17 off 25) gave Bangladesh a brisk start with a 50-run stand.

But the team faltered when they lost four wickets to add just 15 more runs in a devastating spell by Rabi Vishnoi, who also bowled three maiden overs. 

Only Akbar survived the carnage wrought by the leg-spinner.

Akbar Ali. Photo: ICC

Vishnoi sent back Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who smashed a match-winning century against New Zealand in the semi-finals, after taking the wicket of Tanzid. 

Pressure mounted on the young Tigers when the other opener, Emon, was retired hurt with a cramp in his left leg.

Sushant Mishra added to the woes of Bangladesh by taking the wickets of Shamim Hossain and Avishek Das after Vishnoi claimed the scalps of Towhid Hridoy and Shahadat Hossain.

Bangladesh were 102 for six at the time after scoring the first 50 runs without any loss.

Emon then came back to the crease to build the heroic partnership with Akbar and left when the team were 27 runs shy and see Rakibul finish his job.

Indian bowlers also conceded 33 extra runs, including 19 wides.

Photo: ICC

Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss and put India in to bat first. But the favourites, looking for their fifth title, folded for 177 runs as a fiery Bangladesh pace attack and great fielding swept aside the batsmen.

The bowlers greeted openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Divyaansh Saxena with a barrage of deliveries angled at the body and cramping them for space.

Photo: ICC

Avishek Das was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh, picking up three for 40 while Shoriful Islam and Tanzim Hasan Sakib finished with two scalps apiece.

Jaiswal starred for the Indian batting with a fabulous 88 off 121 balls. He ended as the tournament’s topscorer with a whopping 400 runs, having made at least a half-century in all but one match.