India’s batsmen took Namibia’s bowlers to sword and spanked them to their hearts’ content in the crucial
quarter-final tie of the ICC U19 CWC at Fatullah stadium.
Namibia managed to get an early wicket in the third over, but from
then their nightmare began as India’s Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Arman
Jaffer and Mahipal Lomror plundered whatever captain Zane Green threw
at them and piled up 349 for six in 50 overs.
Pant took the center-stage early, and made his good form count with a
breezy knock at the top. His 111 in 96 balls set the tone for the late
assault, and he peppered the field with 14 fours and two sixes during
his stay at the wicket.
He was instrumental in the second wicket partnership of 103 runs with
Anmolpreet, and gave the platform for the middle and lower order
batters to take-off from…something Jaffer and Lomror did spectacularly.
Jaffer hammered 64 from 55 with four fours and a six late in the
innings, while Lomror made a mess of Namibian bowling figures with 41
runs in just 21 balls. He signed off with 24 runs in the last over.
With fielding lapses, couple of drop catches, Namibia looked totally
out of sorts today, and they were ruthlessly punished for the
error-strewn display at Fatullah by the tournament favourites.
India romped to the quarter-finals of the tournament with crushing victories over Ireland, New Zealand and Nepal.
