A tense, rain-interrupted contest at Bulawayo ended with a show of sportsmanship as Bangladesh Under-19 and India Under-19 players exchanged handshakes after the latter clinched an 18-run victory via the DLS method in their ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup Group B opener on Friday.
The match had earlier drawn attention at the toss when Bangladesh’s acting captain Zawad Abrar and India skipper Ayush Mhatre did not shake hands, a moment that briefly sparked discussion on the field. However, any such tension was put to rest at the end of a gripping encounter, as players from both sides warmly acknowledged each other after the final wicket fell, underlining the spirit of the game.
Put in to bat first, India were bundled out for 238 in 48.4 overs, largely due to a fiery spell from pacer Al Fahad, who claimed a brilliant five-wicket haul for 38 runs. Fahad struck early, removing Indian captain Mhatre and Vedant Trivedi in consecutive deliveries, and later returned to dismantle the lower order. He was well supported by Iqbal Hossain Emon and Azizul Hakim, who picked up two wickets each.
India’s innings was steadied by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose aggressive 72 off 67 balls kept the scoreboard moving, and wicketkeeper-batter Abhigyan Kundu, who top-scored with a composed 80 off 112 deliveries to push India past the 200-run mark.
Rain interruptions then changed the complexion of the chase, revising Bangladesh’s target to 165 from 29 overs. The Bangladeshi batters responded with intent, as Rifat Beg struck a fluent 37 and captain Azizul Hakim anchored the innings with a determined 51. At one stage, Bangladesh appeared to be keeping pace with both the required rate and the DLS par score.
The momentum shifted dramatically, however, with the introduction of off-spinner Vihaan Malhotra. The eventual Player of the Match produced a match-winning all-round performance, taking 4 for 14 and holding two superb catches, including a sensational diving effort in the deep to dismiss Iqbal Hossain Emon and seal the game.
Bangladesh were bowled out for 146 in 28.3 overs, falling 18 runs short. Despite the disappointment of a narrow defeat, the post-match scenes of mutual respect and handshakes between the young cricketers stood out, bringing a fitting end to a hard-fought, rain-affected World Cup opener.
