Four Asian sides – India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka –advanced to the Super League quarter-finals of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh with their second successive wins on Saturday.
India, sent in to bat by New Zealand in Mirpur in the match, piled up 258 for eight with Sarfaraz Khan top-scoring with 74 for the second time in the competition. Rishabh Pant made 57 and Armaan Jaffer scored 46.
But Mahipal Lomror stood out with a fine all-round display as he followed up his 45 with the bat with five for 47 which bundled New Zealand out for 138 in the 32nd over.
Seamer Avesh Kumar, who took three wickets in his first four overs to reduce the Kiwis to five for three, finished with four for 32.
“Our first aim to make the quarter-finals has been realised, but we cannot afford to relax,” said India captain Ishan Kishan. “We need to top the group, so the match against Nepal will be very important.
“I am confident because the batsmen are in form and the bowlers too are doing well. It is good that the seamers and spinners have got used to conditions here.”
New Zealand captain Josh Finnie blamed his team’s low total on the regular fall of wickets. “The hat-trick really did us in and our batsmen could not get enough runs on the board.”
Scores in brief:
Group D: India beat New Zealand by 120 runs in Mirpur
India 258-8, 50 overs (Rishabh Pant 57, Sarfaraz Khan 74, Armaan Jaffer 46, Mahipal Lomror 45; Zak Gibson 3-50, Nathan Smith 2-39, Rachin Ravindra 2-41)
New Zealand 138 all out, 31.3 overs (Christian Leopard 40; Avesh Khan 4-32, Mahipal Lormor 5-47)