India beats England to win record fifth ICC Under-19 World Cup

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Feb 6, 2022: India won a record-extending fifth U-19 World Cup title on Saturday, beating England by four wickets in the final of an extraordinary campaign that was almost derailed by a COVID-19 outbreak.

The triumph bore resemblance to the exploits of world-class Indian U-19 teams of the past.

Intrepid and industrious in their approach, the starry-eyed Indian players’ success stories also gave a glimpse into the world’s most perfectly calibrated youth structure, which is capable of consistently producing world-class cricketers who are ever ready to take on the biggest of challenges.

In a reflection of India’s dominance, wicketkeeper Dinesh Bana finished the chase of 190 with two sixes and 14 balls to spare.

On winning the toss in the big final, England captain Tom Prest rightly chose to bat first to avoid the "scoreboard pressure" during the chase. India did the next best thing: bowl out the opposition for a total - 189 in this case, in 44.5 overs -- that failed to put it under pressure.