U-19 WC: Defending champions India crush Bangladesh by 8 wickets

 Kuala Lumpur: A disciplined bowling attack, spearheaded by left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma’s impressive 3/15, helped reigning champions India continue their dominant run in the ICC Women's U-19 World Cup with a resounding eight-wicket win over Bangladesh in their Super Six encounter here on Sunday.

Sharma was ably assisted by Malayali pacer VJ Joshitha (3-1-6-1) and Shabnam Shakil (2-0-7-1) who made full use of the conditions, extracting movement and bounce to stifle Bangladesh’s batters.

They restricted Bangladesh to a paltry 64 runs in their 20 overs -- their lowest total of the tournament -- before winning with the eighth over for the loss of two wickets.

With this comprehensive win, India have now registered their fourth consecutive victory in the tournament, maintaining their unbeaten streak and further establishing themselves as strong title contenders, PTI reported.

Despite their struggles, Bangladesh’s total was the highest conceded by India in the tournament so far, having previously bowled out West Indies (44) and Malaysia (31) for under 50.

In response, India’s chase was off to a blazing start, led by the in-form Trisha Gongadi, who once again proved her class with a fluent 40 off just 31 balls.

By the time she was dismissed after the powerplay, India needed just five more runs to seal the win.

Sanika Chalke (11 not out) and skipper Niki Prasad (5 not out) ensured there were no further hiccups, guiding India to victory in just 7.1 overs.

Put in to bat, Bangladesh started with aggression but their approach backfired as they lost three quick wickets within the first four overs, reeling at 9/3 before limping to 16/3 at the end of the powerplay.

With the early breakthroughs, the Indian spinners took charge and tightened their grip on the game.

Vaishnavi was instrumental in dismantling the middle order, breaking a crucial 31-run partnership between skipper Sumaiya Akter and Jannatul Maoua for the sixth wicket, which saw Bangladesh crumble from 53/4 to 64/9.

Gongadi (2-0-6-1) also chipped in with her leg-spin, ensuring no respite for the Bangladeshi batters.

India face Scotland in their concluding Super Six fixture on Tuesday.