U19 WC COVID-hit India stroll into QFs after beating Ireland

AGENCY

TAROUBA: Record four-time champions and title contenders India stormed into the Super League quarterfinals of the U-19 World Cup after thrashing minnows Ireland by 174 runs in a league game here, in which they barely managed to field a playing XI.
India started their campaign on a winning note, beating South Africa by 45 runs on last Saturday and the win on Wednesday by such a huge margin is significant as the team fielded only available 11 players after six members of the side were forced into isolation after testing COVID positive.
Put into bat at the Brian Lara stadium, India first rode on Harnoor Singh’s brisk 88 and his opening partner Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s run-a-ball 79 to post a challenging 307 for five.
The Hrishikesh Kanitkar-coached side then bundled out the opposition for 133 in 39 overs to register a comfortable win.
Skipper Yash Dhull and his deputy Sheikh Rasheed were among those isolated after testing positive as Nishant Sindhu led the side.
Left-handed Harnoor and Angriksh stitched a 164-run stand at the top to ensure Indian bowlers had a decent total to defend.
Harnoor hit 12 fours in his 101-ball knock while Angriksh found 10 boundaries and two sixes.
Stand-in skipper Nishant Sindhu (36 off 34; 5x4s) and Raj Bawa (42 off 64; 2x4s; 1×6) then shared a 64-run stand for the third wicket.
As big hits dried up towards the end, Rajvardhan Hangargekar struck five sixes, including a hat-trick of maximums in the last over, in his fiery 17-ball 39-run unbeaten cameo that took India past the 300-run mark.
Harnoor, who has been in sparkling form, drove the ball elegantly. If it was pitched up on the middle and leg, the left-hander from Jalandhar flicked it exquisitely. The ones pitched up on the off-side were driven in the cover region as Harnoor ticked the board nicely.
In contrast, Angriksh chose to muscle the ball around. He cut, pulled and also drove in an aggressive manner as none of the Ireland bowlers could trouble the Indian openers.