Indian young guns win U19 World Cup for fifth time

India have secured their fifth Under-19 World Cup title with a four-wicket win over England at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, proving their superiority in the underage tournament once again.

England batted first and were immediately behind in the game with India's seam bowlers dominating from the outset before the target of 190 was chased down with relative ease.

There were some tense moments, but the Indians always looked comfortable and cruised home despite England taking the game as deep as possible.

Allrounder Raj Bawa was the hero with a five-wicket haul in that was backed up by an important middle order knock of 34 when it was needed most.

Despite the loss for England (their only for the 2022 tournament), they can hold their heads high as they finished with the country's best result in U19 World Cups since 1998; the only year they have won the title.

It was the worst possible start for them today when after electing to bat first in Antigua, they lost their two key batters, Jacob Bethel and captain Tom Prest, inside the first four overs.

Both had scored in excess of 200 runs for the tournament but were dismissed by left arm seamer Ravi Kumar for two and zero respectively, to put their side on the back foot early in the contest.

Opener George Thomas and new batter James Rew sought about forming a partnership for England and looked set to do so before Thomas (27) offered a catch to India captain Yash Dhull that he gleefully accepted.

England then lost two more in quick succession, right arm fast bowler Bawa dismissing William Luxton and George Bell in consecutive balls to leave the English reeling at 5-47.

It wasn't until James Sales came to the crease to join Rew with the score at 7-91 that any hope of a competitive England total looked likely, as the two refused to let their side be bowled out cheaply.

They spent close to 20 overs together in a 93-run partnership that kept the game alive, with Rew the main aggressor.

He was out just shy of his century for a brilliant 95 that included 12 boundaries, while Sales finished 34 not out as England were all out for 189.

India's fast bowlers did the damage, with Bawa taking 5-31 and Kumar 4-34.

England got the start they desperately needed in the chase when Joshua Boyden found Angkrish Raghuvanshi's edge on just the second ball of the innings.

Harnoor Singh and Shaik Rasheed steadied for India and took the score to 49, but Singh (21) fell victim to a brilliant catch by wicketkeeper Alex Horton.

A cluster of wickets was necessary to put England ahead of the game, but with Dhull at the crease, the hero of India's semi-final win over Australia with his flawless 110, it seemed unlikely as he played himself in while Rasheed continued to tick the score over.

They put on 46 for the third wicket before England sparked some momentum with a double blow; Sales first having Rasheed caught by Rew just as he had reached 50, and then claiming Dhull's wicket too to turn the game on its head.

With two new batters at the crease and England with their tails up, it could have gone either way, but India showcased its depth and class as a brilliant partnership between Nishant Sindhu and Bawa put the game to bed.

They put together a low risk 67-run partnership that was perfect for the game situation, holding their nerve to see India within touching distance of victory, before Bawa was gone for 35.

The winning runs were struck by Dinesh Bana with 14 balls to spare, sparking passionate celebrations by the Indians, who streamed onto the field.

Sindhu finished not out on 50 to guide his side home, but it was Bawa's all-round performance that earnt player of the match honours.

Despite a tough tournament off the field that saw multiple players contract COVID-19 including their captain and star batter Dhull, the Indians remained undefeated and redeemed themselves after their loss to Bangladesh in the 2020 final.

South African batter Dewald Brevis was named player of the tournament for his record 506 runs that included two centuries.