India crashes out of U-19 Asia Cup after defeat against Bangladesh

After suffering a shock defeat against Nepal in its previous game, India needed a victory to reach the semifinals, but the team — coached by Rahul Dravid — went down to Bangladesh by eight wickets in a U-19 Asia Cup match.

Bangladesh cricketers celebrate the fall of a Indian wicket in Kuala Lumpur.

India’s poor form continued in the U-19 Asia Cup as it crashed out of the tournament after going down to Bangladesh by eight wickets.

After suffering a shock defeat against Nepal in its previous game, India needed a victory to reach the semifinals, but the team—coached by Rahul Dravid—failed to show steel.

READ: Spirited Nepal stuns India in U-19 Asia Cup

With rain playing a spoilsport, the match was reduced to 32-over-a-side affair at the Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur. Put in to bat, India U-19 team scored 187-8, while in reply, Bangladesh edged past India’s target with eight wickets in hand and with four overs to spare. The side rode on the heroics of Pinak Ghosh, who slammed an unbeaten knock of 81 in 77 balls.

READ: The Indian hand in Nepal’s stunner against India

India U-19 team failed to get off to a good start, and things would have gone haywire had not Salman Khan (39) and Anuj Rawat (34) chipped in with some big hitting at the fag end. Robiul Haque claimed 3-43 to go on a rampage as Indian batters were unable to show any resistance.

In reply, Bangladesh got off to a flier with Ghosh and Naim Sheikh (44) going strong.

With India crashing out, four teams—Nepal, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan—have made it to the last-four stage.

Brief scores:  India U-19 187-8 in 32 overs (S Khan 39 not out; R Haque 3/43) lost to Bangladesh U-19 191-2 in 28 overs (P Ghosh 81 not out, M Singh 2/36) by eight wickets