Bulawayo (Zimbabwe): Henil Patel led a ruthless bowling display with an excellent five-wicket haul, setting up India’s six-wicket victory over USA in their rain-hit ICC Under-19 World Cup opener here on Thursday.
The right-arm seamer finished with figures of 5/16 from seven overs with one maiden, ripping through the USA middle-order after India opted to bowl under overcast conditions. The USA were bundled out for a meagre 107 in 35.2 overs.
India’s target was revised to 96 in 37 overs after rain interrupted proceedings with the total reading 21 for one in four overs.
Abhigyan Kundu (42 not out off 41 balls) then saw the team home with 118 balls to spare under the DLS method.
India’s chase was delayed by rain but when play resumed, 14-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi (2) fell cheaply as he was bowled by Ritvik Appidi (2/24 in 5 overs) in the third over.
Appidi cramped Suryavanshi for room with a length delivery before the batter came down the wicket only to get an inside edge onto the stumps.
Skipper Ayush Mhatre had by then collected two boundaries and looked confident until rain forced another interruption.
At that stage of the game, India required just 87 runs in 46 overs, but the equation was changed as per the DLS method when play resumed after a long interruption.
Upon resumption, India lost the wickets of Mhatre (19) and Vedant Trivedi (2) in quick succession, and then, vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra was dismissed for 18.
Earlier, Henil struck in his very first over, inducing an edge from Amrinder Gill (1) to Malhotra in the slips, before the tall tearaway pacer Deepesh Devendran joined in by having Sahil Garg (16) caught by Henil at third man to reduce USA to 29/2 in nine overs.
Henil then took control of the innings with a devastating double blow, removing captain Utkarsh Srivastava for a five-ball duck before dismissing wicketkeeper Arjun Mahesh (16) in the same over as the USA slipped to 35/4.
He returned again soon, drawing a loose drive from Mahesh that flew to third man for his third wicket, and USA never recovered from the collapse.
Leg-spinner Khilan Patel struck immediately on his introduction, trapping Amogh Arepally (3) as the USA slid to 39/5 in the 16th over.
Nitish Sudini offered some resistance with a counter-attacking 36 off 52 balls, striking four boundaries and adding 30 runs with Adnit Jhamb (18) for the sixth wicket to take USA past 50.
However, Henil returned to mop up the tail, dismissing Sabrish Prasad (7) and Rishabh Shimpi (0) to complete his five-for as the USA were bundled out in 35.2 overs.
India are in Group B alongside Bangladesh and New Zealand.
Brief Scores:
USA 107 in 35.2 overs (Nitish Sudini 36; Henil Patel 5/16) vs India.
India: 99/4 in 17.2 overs (Abhigyan Kundu 42 not out; Ritvik Appidi 2/24).
