India boys take ACC Under-17 title

India beat back a gallant challenge from Bangladesh to win the Asian Cricket Council under-17 cricket title at the Bangabandhu national stadium in Dhaka on Saturday. After the hosts had scored 225 for six in the allotted 45 overs, India got to their target with six wickets and eleven deliveries to spare.

Opting to bat on winning the toss, Bangladesh lost their first wicket at 32 when Zahurul Islam was out for nine. Skipper Nafeez Iqbal did not last long, being run out for 12. But the other opener Mohammed Ashraful and wicket-keeper Hasibul Haoq retrieved the innings with a third wicket partnership of 88 runs off 15.3 overs. Ashraful, a 16-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 outs followed. First, Md Shariff was run out by Deepak Chougule for 11 and then ATM 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 sixth wicket off only four overs to carry Bangladesh to a fighting total. Hasibul Haoq, a 14-year-old right hander, remained unbeaten with 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. First Dholpure, a 15-year-old right hander from Madhya Pradesh, was run out by Mohammed Ashraful. He faced 59 balls and hit six fours and 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 and hit five of them to the ropes.

Undeterred by this double blow, two right handers Deep Chougule from Karnataka and Mohnish Mishra from Madhya Pradesh got the innings back on track with a third wicket partnership of 93 runs off 18.4 overs. By the time Chougule gave Shafiul Alam a return catch, India were well on their way to victory. For his timely innings of 46, Chougule, a 16-year-old from Karnataka, faced 64 balls 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 and ASK Verma (21) and Stuart Binny (5) applied the finishing touches. Verma faced 26 balls and hit two fours and a six. Mishra, who turned 17 earlier this month, was declared man of the match.