India defeated New Zealand by 69 runs in the ICC Under-19 cricket World Cup on Wednesday to register their second victory from as many outings in the tournament.
India, who beat Scotland in their opening match after putting up a record total of 425 for 3, were restricted to 215 after deciding to bat.
Sunny Singh, 68 not out off 81 balls -- including seven fours, top scored for them. He was given good support by Ambati Rayudu (36) and Gaurav Dhiman (38), but the rest of the batsman failed in the face of disciplined bowling by the Kiwis.
Brent Findlay, bowling medium pace, took four wickets for the Kiwis.
New Zealand seemed all set to record an easy victory but the Indians picked wickets at regular intervals to skittle them out for just 146.
Rudra Pratap Singh, Abhishek Sharma and Praveen Gupta picked two wickets each as New Zealand were bundled out in 44.5 overs in the Group 'C' match at the Bangabandhu Stadium.
New Zealand were at one stage 94 for two and then 132 for four before they collapsed.
Delhi's 18-year old Abhishek Sharma (2-33) ended the 68-run second wicket partnership between wicketkeeper batsman Bradley Watling and Brad Wilson by having the latter caught by Sunny Singh.
Watling's calm 55 from 121 balls and Wilson's supportive 30 from 52 balls belied the disaster that lay ahead for the Kiwis.
Praful Waghela dismissed captain Daniel Flynn for a first ball duck before seamer Rudra Singh (2-23) and the 17-year old left-arm spinner Gupta (2-17) broke the back of the Kiwi batting.
Watling and Sam Mackay (19) put up 32 for the fifth wicket but the former's run-out by Suresh Raina signalled doom as the last six wickets fell for 14 runs in the space of eight overs.
Earlier, Sunny Singh's unbeaten 68 rallied India to a respectable total after slipping to 101 for 6. He faced 81 balls and hit seven fours while adding 66 runs for the seventh wicket with Gaurav Dhiman.
Dhiman played a rollicking innings, hitting three fours and a six in his 38 that came from just 51 deliveries.
Their stand, combined with some generous bowling by the Kiwis who conceded 23 extras, made up for the collapse of the top order that had plundered a record total against Scotland.
Right arm medium pacer Brent Findlay grabbed four for 36 while Craig Smith and Te Ahu Davis picked 3-42 and 2-47 respectively.
Scoreboard
India:
A R Uthappa lbw Smith 11
S Dhawan c Watling b Smith 4
A T Rayudu c Eathorne b Findlay 36
S Raina c Watling b Findlay 18
P Waghela c Watling b Findlay 7
K K D Karthik c & b Findlay 0
Sunny Singh not out 68
Gaurav Dhiman b Davis 38
A Sharma lbw Davis 3
P Gupta c & b Eathorne 1
R P Singh c Davis b Smith 6
Extras: (lb 5, w 13, nb 5) 23
Total: (all out, 47.2 overs) 215
Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-30, 3-71, 4-86, 5-86, 6-101, 7-167, 8-175, 9-185.
Bowling: Davis 10-1-47-2, Smith 8.2-1-42-3, Bolstad 3-0-28-0, Findlay 10-0-36-4, McKay 10-2-29-0, Eathorne 5-0-25-1, Chrisp 1-0-3-0.
New Zealand:
P Carey c Wahgela b Gaurav Dhiman 1
B J Watling run out (Raina) 55
L Chrisp c Karthik b Singh 13
B Wilson c Sunny Singh b Sharma 30
D Flynn c Karthik b Wahgela 0(1)
S McKay c Raina b Singh 19
S Eathorne run out (Sunny Singh) 0
B Findlay b Gupta 3
D Bolstad st Karthik b Sharma 4
TA Davis b Gupta 7
C Smith not out 0
Extras: (b 4, w 9, nb 1) 14
Total: (all out, 44.5 overs) 146
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-26, 3-94, 4-100, 5-132, 6-132, 7-133, 8-139, 9-139.
Bowling: Singh 9-0-23-2, Gaurav Dhiman 7-1-19-1, Gupta 7.5-1-17-2, Raina 9-1-29-0, Sharma 10-1-33-2, Rayudu 1-0-12-0, Wahgela 1-0-9-1.
More from rediff