By IANS
Kuala Lumpur : Skipper Virat Kohli struck a blazing century as India registered a comprehensive 50-run victory over West Indies in their last Group B league match of the ICC under-19 World Cup here today.
Sent in to bat, India posted 265 for 5 in the allotted 50 overs. During their run chase, the West Indies occasionally promised to make a match of it, but the Indian bowlers strangled the batsmen and knocked them off for 215 in 47.5 overs.
India finished their league engagements with three wins to qualify for the quarterfinals as group toppers. South Africa will join India as the other team from the group to advance to the last eight stage. India will meet England in the quarterfinal.
Virat led from the front Friday in setting a challenging target for the West Indies. His century came in just 74 balls with 10 boundaries and four sixes.
Opener Turuvar Kohli and Tanmay Srivastav scored half-centuries while Saurabh Tiwary chipped in with 38 to add to the misery of the West Indian bowlers.
India had been jolted early when opener Shreevats Goswami departed as Dawnley Grant (2-56) trapped him leg before in the second over with only three runs on the board. But in-form Tanmay Srivastav (51) and Turuvar (50) then laid the foundation of the innings with a patient 102-
run partnership for the second wicket.
India then lost two quick wickets and were 116 for three at one stage. Leg spinner Sharmarh Brooks removed Turuvar while Srivastav ran himself out one over later. Turuvar struck four boundaries in his patient 84-ball knock while Tanmay’s innings was studded with two sixes and two boundaries.
Skipper Virat walked in and played a dominating innings. His 50 came in just 49 balls as he added 111 runs with Saurabh Tiwary.
With Tiwary struggling to find his feet, Virat took most of the strike and led the way, stealing singles and doubles. He displayed some audacious stroke play as India blazed 66 runs in the last five overs. Virat hit Brooks for two sixes in the 46th over.
West Indies openers Kieran Powell (29) and Adrian Barath (24) started the run chase with a flurry of shots and put on 44 runs before Ajitesh Argal (2-45) and Siddarth Kaul (3-37) struck in quick succession.
The Windies were then left struggling at 89 for 4 before Darren Bravo and Devon Thomas stemmed the rot with a workmanlike partnership of 75.
Ravindra Jadeja was involved in sending both of them to pavilion as he ran out Bravo and then trapped Thomas lbw to leave West Indies in dire straits. Then the Indian bowlers finished the job with ease.
In another exciting league encounter Friday, England reduced Bangladesh to 49 for 7 as James Harris bowled beautifully for his 5-20. But Bangladesh recovered to reach 149.
England was still confident of knocking off the runs and put on 35 for the first wicket, but were packed off for just 136 in 47.4 overs with Nasir Hossain (2-16) and Mahmudul Hasan (2-20) being the architect of an improbable win by Bangladesh.
The quarterfinal line-up is now set with India taking on England and Bangladesh playing South Africa on Sunday; Sri Lanka will meet New Zealand and Pakistan faces Australia on Monday. The other eight teams head to Johor for the plate championship.