U-19 WC: Kartik Tyagi dismantles Australia's top-order, sets up potential India-Pak Semi

Pacer Karthik Tyagi shone with the ball as India thrashed Australia in the U-19 World Cup quarterfinal by 74 runs to reach the semifinal. Tyagi picked up four wickets after he blew away the Australian top-order with a sensational spell as Priyam Garg’s side defended the total of 233 on Tuesday. Earlier, India recovered through Atharva Ankolekar's combative half-century to reach 233 for nine, a modest total which the holders defended in impressive fashion.

Atharva-Bishnoi saved India's sinking ship

India bundled out Australia for 159 with 6.3 overs to spare in their Super League quarterfinal. Put into bat, India lacked a strong partnership until Atharva and Ravi Bishnoi joined forces to raise a fighting 61-run stand for the seventh wicket. Atharva scored an unbeaten 55 off 54 balls with five fours and a six, while Bishnoi made 30 off 31 balls.

Tyagi's match-winning spell

Tyagi (4/24) then produced a dream spell in which he removed Australian skipper Mackenzie Harvey (4) and Lachlan Hearne (0) in successive balls in his very first over. This was after Jake Fraser-McGurk had run himself out in the very first ball of their innings. He did not get a hat-trick but added the scalps of Oliver Davies (2) and Patrick Rowe (21) to take the life out of the Australian chase.

Opener Sam Fanning (75) kept fighting from one end but that only delayed the inevitable. He added 81 runs for the sixth wicket with Liam Scott (35). When Australia required 85 runs off the last 10 overs, spinner Bishnoi broke the stand by getting rid of Scott, while left-arm pacer Akash Singh sent back Fanning. The writing was on the wall after that as Akash (3/30) wrapped up the match by adding the wickets of Todd Murphy and Matthew Willans to his tally.

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Earlier, only opener Yashaswi Jaiswal put up a semblance of resistance against the Australian attack, scoring an 82-ball 62 with the help of six fours and two sixes. Others struggled but eventually after running out of partners, Jaiswal ran out of patience as he went for a pull-off Tanveer Sangha but edged the ball between his legs on to the stumps. Before Sangha came on to bowl, bespectacled off-spinner Todd Murphy (2/40) frequently troubled the Indian batsmen.

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India, the defending champions, are to face one of Pakistan or Afghanistan in the semi-finals.

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(with PTI inputs)