da bet7： India beat back a gallant challenge from Bangladesh to win the AsianCricket Council under-17 cricket title at the Bangabandhu national stadiumin Dhaka on Saturday
da fezbet： Staff Reporter24-Feb-2001India beat back a gallant challenge from Bangladesh to win the AsianCricket Council under-17 cricket title at the Bangabandhu national stadiumin Dhaka on Saturday. After the hosts had scored 225 for sixin the allotted 45 overs, India got to their target with six wickets andeleven deliveries to spare.
Ashrafulbats as Patel looks on
Photo AFP
Opting to bat on winning the toss, Bangladesh lost their first wicket at 32when Zahurul Islam was out for nine. Skipper Nafeez Iqbal did not lastlong, being run out for 12. But the other opener Mohammed Ashraful andwicket-keeper Hasibul Haoq retrieved the innings with a third wicketpartnership of 88 runs off 15.3 overs. Ashraful, a16-year-old right hander who was in a particularly aggressive mood,made 89 off 85 balls with eleven hits to the fence. Two more run outsfollowed. First, Md Shariff was run out by Deepak Chougule for 11 and thenATM Shariful was run out by Stuart Binny for four. Bin Mortaza,who cracked 18 off 12 balls and Hasibul Haoq added 37 runs for the sixthwicket off only four overs to carry Bangladesh to a fighting total. HasibulHaoq, a 14-year-old right hander, remained unbeatenwith 52 off 87 balls with two boundary hits.India were given a sound start with openers Sachin Dholpure (50)and skipper Parthiv Patel (40) putting on 97 runs off 17.3 overs. However,the Indians suffered a double blow off successive deliveries. FirstDholpure, a 15-year-old right hander from Madhya Pradesh, wasrun out by Mohammed Ashraful. He faced 59 balls and hit six foursand a six. Off the next delivery, Patel, who turns 16 next month,was caught by Mohammed Ashraful off Manzarul Islam. The skipper,who also keeps wicket and hails from Gujarat, faced 48 balls andhit five of them to the ropes.Undeterred by this double blow, two right handers Deep Chougulefrom Karnataka and Mohnish Mishra from Madhya Pradesh got theinnings back on track with a third wicket partnership of 93 runsoff 18.4 overs. By the time Chougule gave Shafiul Alam a returncatch, India were well on their way to victory. For his timelyinnings of 46, Chougule, a 16-year-old from Karnataka, faced 64balls and hit seven fours. Mishra followed a little later for 51,scored off 61 balls. He hit five fours and a six.By now only the margin of India’s victory was being discussed andASK Verma (21) and Stuart Binny (5) applied the finishing touches. Vermafaced 26 balls and hit two fours and a six. Mishra, who turned17 earlier this month, was declared man of the match.
