Raj Angad Bawa registered the best bowling figures in an ICC U-19 World Cup final before hitting a valuable 35 as India beat England by four wickets to win a record-extending fifth title on Saturday. He is also the first Indian and only the second overall to take a five-wicket haul in the final. (More Cricket News)
By doing so, the Chandigarh boy also joined legendary Kapil Dev as the only second Indian to score 150-plus and take a five-for in the same ICC event.
Raj Angad Bawa has been one of the vital cogs in India’s road to the finals. If his 4/47 against South Africa in the opener and 162 not out against Uganda in the group stages were a trailer, Bawa entertained the handful of supporters at the Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound with his medium pace.
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Raj Angad Bawa got his first on the day when he had George Thomas caught by Yash Dhull for 27. A couple of overs before, Thomas was dropped at slip by Kaushal Tambe off the bowling of Bawa.
Two overs later, Bawa struck twice in the over dismissing Will Luxton and George Bell in successive deliveries, both caught by Dinesh Bana behind the wickets. His fourth victim was Rehan Ahmed, against caught by Tambe.
However, when it looked, like England would struggle to cross the 100-run mark, it was James Rew, who stood like a rock in the middle, with a fighting 95 to save England the blushes. Raj Bawa, who is a grandson of India’s 1948 Olympics gold medallist Tarlochan Singh Bawa, finished with a career-best of 5/31 in 9.5 overs when he dismissed Joshua Boyden for one.
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In the process, Raj Angad Bawa joined Pakistan’s Anwar Ali in the list of bowlers with a five-wicket haul in the final of the competition. Anwar Ali took 5/35 against arch-rivals India in 2006 in Colombo. Pakistan had won the match by 38 runs back then.
Bawa also surpassed his seniors Piyush Chawla, Ravi Bishnoi, and Sandeep Sharma who had previously taken a four-wicket haul in an ICC U-19 World Cup final. Bawa’s partner-in-crime Ravi Kumar also joined the list with a four-wicket haul on Saturday.
Raj Angad Bawa also joined legendary all-rounder and India’s 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev in an elite list to score a 150-plus score and take a five-wicket haul in a single ICC event. Kapil Dev had achieved the feat during the 1983 World Cup.
Indians To Take 4 Or More Wickets In ICC U-19 World Cup Final
5/31 Raj Bawa in 2022
4/8 Piyush Chawla in 2006
4/30 Ravi Bishnoi in 2020
4/34 Ravi Kumar in 2022
4/54 Sandeep Sharma in 2012
Indians To Score 150+ Score, Take 5-Wicket Haul in ICC Event
Kapil Dev in 1983 (ODI WC)
Raj Bawa in 2022 (U-19 WC)
