U19 Asia Cup 2023: The Indian Connection Behind Bangladesh’s Fairytale Run

The Bangladesh cricket team is currently on a sensational run of form during the ongoing U19 Asia Cup 2023. The Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby-led side won all three of their group stage matches and then went on to defeat India in the semi-finals. Bangladesh were able to restrict India to a total of 188 and then followed it up with a disciplined batting performance to clinch the encounter. Bangladesh approached the chase with a calculated game plan and a lot of credit for that goes to batting consultant Wasim Jaffer. The former Indian cricket team opener has been serving as the Bangladesh U-19 cricket team’s batting consultant for the past couple of years and his impact is quite apparent.

“I’ve got as much information as they have, but I know a little bit more about the Indian team. We played India in a quadrangular series just before coming here. So we played against these guys and the boys know about the Indian team and that experience has helped them,” he told Gulf News.

Following the victory, Jaffer also took to social media to congratulate the Bangladesh cricketers.

Well done boys, great effort from the team to beat India in the semis. Onto the Finals now! #INDvBAN #U19AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/YSTi2ptd18

— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) December 16, 2023

Coming to the match, Ariful Islam’s counter-punching fifty and a fiery spell by left-arm pacer Maruf Mridha helped Bangladesh score a facile four-wicket win over India.

On a slightly double-paced pitch, Indian batters struggled to get going before getting bundled out for 188 in 42.4 overs, with Musheer Khan (50) and Murugan Abhishek (62) doing all the scoring for them.

Maruf took 4 for 41 to give early jolts to India in the second semifinal.

Despite some jitters, Bangladesh went over the line pretty comfortably in 42.5 overs with Islam (94 off 90 balls) defending the Indian charge with an engaging innings.

However, Maruf kickstarted India’s poor day with a superb opening spell.

The pacer found some bounce and swing upfront to reduce India to 13 for three inside seven overs. Openers Adarsh Singh, Arshin Kulkarni and captain Uday Saharan returned without troubling the scorers much.

But Musheer and Abhishek shared an 84-run alliance for the seventh-wicket to rescue India from a precarious 61 for 6.

They batted quite fluently and Musheer brought up his fifty off 59 balls with a single long-off Mahfuzur Rahman.

Abhishek clobbered Sheikh Jibon for a huge six over long-off to bring his fifty in 64 balls.

However, both the batters departed without building further as India sank to a modest total.

In reply, Bangladesh too made a shaky start and were 34 for three in 9.4 overs.

But Islam found an able alley in Ahrar Amin (44 off 101 balls) as the duo milked 138 runs for a stubborn fourth wicket stand to peg India back.

(With PTI inputs)