Twitter reactions: Bangladesh thrash India by 59 runs to win back-to-back U19 Asia Cup titles

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Bangladesh continued their dominance in youth cricket, successfully defending their U19 Men’s Asia Cup title with a 59-run win over India in the final on Sunday, December 8 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. After winning their maiden championship last year by defeating the UAE, the Junior Tigers outclassed eight-time champions India to cement their status as a rising force in the tournament.

Bangladesh’s batting: Partnerships lay the foundation

After being asked to bat first, Bangladesh posted a fighting total of 198 in 49.1 overs, thanks to key contributions from their middle order. Rizan Hossain stood out with a composed knock of 47 runs off 65 balls, including three well-timed boundaries. His ability to anchor the innings was pivotal, especially after the early dismissal of captain Azizul Hakim.

Mohammad Shihab James (40 off 57) and Farid Hasan (39 off 49) chipped in with crucial runs, building partnerships to stabilize the innings. The James-Rizan partnership for the fourth wicket added 62 runs, ensuring Bangladesh recovered from a shaky start. Although no batter converted their starts into a big score, their collective efforts gave the bowlers a defendable target. India’s bowlers were effective in patches, with Yudhajit Guha, Chetan Sharma and Hardik Raj taking crucial scalps. Kiran Chormale, KP Karthikeya and Ayush Mhatre also chipped in with a wicket apiece, but they couldn’t prevent Bangladesh from reaching a challenging total.

Also WATCH: Mohammed Al Fahad produces a peach to knock over Ayush Mhatre’s off-stump during U19 Asia Cup 2024 final

India’s chase falters under pressure

India’s run chase ended disastrously as they lost openers Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre early, leaving the team in trouble. While Andre Siddarth (20), KP Karthikeya (21), none of them could build a substantial partnership to keep the chase alive.

Bangladesh’s Iqbal Hossain Emon delivered a game-changing spell, removing Nikhil Kumar and Karthikeya in quick succession during the 20th over. Emon’s accuracy and ability to extract movement kept the Indian batters guessing, finishing with excellent figures of 7-1-24-3. His dismissal of Harvansh Pangalia further dented India’s hopes as the required run rate spiraled out of reach. Indian skipper Mohamed Amaan (26) managed to get start but failed to convert into big one.

Despite failing with the bat, Bangladesh skipper Azizul Hakim made a stunning impact with the ball. His precise and disciplined bowling broke the back of India’s lower order. With figures of 2.2-1-8-3, Hakim dismissed Chetan Sharma to bring India’s innings to a premature end at just 139 in 35.2 overs. His leadership on the field and clinical bowling performance were instrumental in sealing the victory.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

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