Kamal Ghorui
India opened their Super Six campaign at the U-19 World Cup with a statement performance, dismantling Zimbabwe by a massive 204-run margin on Tuesday. Middle-order batter Vihaan Malhotra played the defining role with a composed, unbeaten century, while Abhigyan Kundu continued his rich vein of form as India piled on the misery for their opponents. Fresh off a flawless group stage in which they comfortably brushed aside the USA, Bangladesh and New Zealand, India showed no signs of easing up. Batting first, they amassed a formidable 352 for 8, maintaining the aggressive approach that has defined their tournament so far.
At the heart of the innings was Malhotra’s assured 109 not out from 107 deliveries, an effort built on patience and sound shot selection. Kundu complemented him perfectly with a fluent 61 off 62 balls as Zimbabwe’s bowling attack struggled to find answers. The early momentum was provided by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who tore into the attack at the top, racing to 52 off just 30 balls as India surged to 100 inside 11 overs. A brief wobble followed in the 11th over when India lost Sooryavanshi and skipper Ayush Mhatre in quick succession, slipping to 101 for 3. The setback, however, barely slowed the scoring rate. Malhotra and wicketkeeper-batter Kundu steadied the innings before accelerating, stitching together a vital 113-run partnership for the fifth wicket that lifted India from 130 for 4 to 243 for 5 by the 36th over. Zimbabwe’s persistence with pacer Nigel Mazai proved expensive, with the bowler conceding 86 runs from his eight overs. India finished strongly, with Malhotra adding valuable lower-order runs alongside RS Ambrish and Khilan Patel to push the total beyond 350. The chase never gathered momentum. Pacers Ambrish and Henil Patel struck early, sharing the new ball to reduce Zimbabwe to 24 for 3 within nine overs. Although Kian Blignaut and Leeroy Chiwaula showed resistance, the required rate spiralled out of reach. Skipper Mhatre’s part-time off-spin and Udhav Mohan’s left-arm pace completed the rout, bowling Zimbabwe out for 148 in 37.4 overs. With six points, India now sit atop Group 2 of the Super Six, making a commanding start to the business end of the tournament.
