Bangladesh youths beat India to top group

An unbeaten 81 from Pinak Ghosh guided Bangladesh Under-19 cricket team to an eight-wicket victory over India in their last group match of the ACC Youth Asia Cup Cricket 2017 at the Royal Selangor Club ground in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

This means the Young Tigers finished the Group A as champions with a 100 per cent winning record, reports news agency UNB.

They will now will play the first semifinal against Group B runners up Pakistan on Thursday while Group B champions Afghanistan will face Nepal in the other semifinal on Friday.

India had to make an early exit as they lost two and won only once, against hosts Malaysia.

Sent in to bat first in the day's match, India scored 187 for 8 in a curtailed 32-over-a-side match. Number seven batsman Salman Khan contributed unconquered 39 runs off 38 balls, hitting two fours, in the rain-hit match while Anuj Rawat added 34 and Harvik Desai 21.

Robiul Haque grabbed three wickets for 43 while Afif Hossain and Nayeem Hassan took two wickets each for Bangladesh.

In reply, Bangladesh easily reached their target in 28 overs, losing only two wickets. 

The 82-run opening stand between Naim Sheikh and Pinak Ghosh set the platform for the win.

After the dismissal of opener Naim Sheikh (38) and one down Saif Hassan (16), opener Pinak Ghosh and last match's centurion Tohwhid Hridoy added 83 runs to see the game off.

Pinak Ghosh hammered 81 off 76 balls thanks to six fours and three sixes while Towhid Hridoy contributed an unbeaten 48 off just 33 balls, made with two fours and four sixes.

Mandeep Singh claimed both the Bangladesh wickets conceding 36 runs.