U19 World Cup: Dhull, Ostwal march India pass South Africa

By Akeem Greene

akeem@newsroom.gy

In the last five encounters between India and South Africa, the Asian side won four and lost one. On Saturday at the National Stadium, Providence, Guyana, they moved that tally to five on the second matchday of the ICC Under-19 World Cup.

India managed to squeeze then derail South Africa’s chase of 233 to comprehensively win by 45 runs.

The win kickstarts India’s quest for a fifth title and it was built on the foundation of a masterful 82 from captain Yash Dhull after which his bowlers led by Vicky Ostwal and Raj Bawa withstood the threat of Dewald Brevis to close out the match.

It was certainly a new-ball pitch as South Africa too had a shaky start with Ethan-John Cunningham being dismissed without a score in the first over.

Some repair was undertaken by Valintine Kitime and Brevis with a 59-run partnership. After Kitime went in the 12^th over, India looked to dry up the boundary balls which amplified the threat of the attacking Brevis, who constantly found the ropes.

 He smashed Kaushal Tambe over long-off for six to reach his fifty off 77 balls; Tamble could have gotten his man next ball with Brevis charging again, only to top-edge to backward point where the chance was shelved in the 28^th over. South Africa was 106-3 at that stage.

Brevis’ demise in the 36^th over for 65 (6x4s;2x6s) from 99 balls was the turning point for India as it saw Proteas slip from 138-5 to 165-9 in eight overs.

The left-arm spin of Ostwal was wrecking ball, as he moved away from looking for turn to bowling dead straight, pinning the batsmen in front or disturbing the stumps. 

Liam Alder made an unbeaten 17 (2x4s) from 15 which created some tense moments but it was much too steep a  hill to climb for the last pair.

Otswal ended with 5-28 from his ten overs while Bawa had 4-47 from 6.4 overs.

South Africa inserted India hoping their pacers could make the most of the moisture in the pitch after a delayed start due to rain.

Left-arm pacer, Aphiwe Mnyanda, with good steam from the Media Centre End, sent back both openers, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Harnoor Singh for single-digit scores which the Asian powerhouses 11-2 in the sixth over.

Stability came in the form of a workmanlike stand of 71 for the third wicket between Shaik Rasheed and Dhull.

Rasheed had a chance in the ninth over when Valintine Kitime floored an acrobatic attempt in slip off the bowling Andile Simelane.

India would have slipped to 40-3 but to add salt into the wound, the next ball, Rasheed played a glorious cover drive. He looked set for a significant score until he opted to sweep a fullish Alder delivery and got struck in front for a well-composed 31 (4x4s) from 54 balls.

Dhull keep going, and a hallmark was his swiftness between the wickets along with some sumptuous flicks and drives; at times a mirror of Ajinkya Rahane.

 Nishant Sindhu looks another promising power-pack package with a quickfire 27 (5x4s) from 25 balls. It beckoned to be an innings which would have undone the good work of the Proteas in the first phase of the match, but yet again, when India looked to sniff ahead South Africa reeled them back, and the runout of the Indian skipper in the 39th over was a massive turning point.

 Pushed to cover, wanted a single, sent back by Kaushal Tambe and Simelane at point picked up the ball and hit the stumps at batting end, and Dhull’s despairing dive was not enough.

Wickets kept falling in clusters and Tambe’s dismissal in the 46^th really took the gas out of India’s innings as Matthew Boast was on a hattrick, however, solid defence from Ravi Kumar stopped Boast from entering the history books.

Both sides now head to Trinidad and Tobago, as South Africa face Uganda on Tuesday at the Queen’s Park Oval and India battle Ireland a day after at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.