DHAKA: Rahul Dravid-coached India stormed into the final of the ICC Under-19 World Cup with a convincing 97-run win over Sri Lanka in the first Super League semi-final here on Tuesday.

Anmolpreet Singh scored 72 and Sarfaraz Khan made 59 as India recovered from early setbacks to post 267 for nine after being put into bat on a misty morning in Dhaka.

Sri Lanka was down to 13-2 in reply before being dismissed for 170 in 42.4 overs to hand three-time champions India their fifth appearance in the final.

Skipper Ishan Kishan’s boys await the winners of Thursday’s second semi-final between hosts Bangladesh and the West Indies in the title clash in Dhaka on Sunday.

India lost openers Rishabh Pant and Kishan by the 10th over to slip to 27-2 in conditions that suited Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers.

Sarfaraz and man-of-the-match Anmolpreet revived the innings by adding 96 for the third wicket with a mix of big shots and sharp ones and twos.

Sarfaraz hit six fours and a six while Anmolpreet, playing only his second match in the tournament, matched his senior partner with the same number of hits to the fence.

Sri Lanka grabbed six wickets in the final 10 overs, but India still managed to add 89 as Armaan Jaffer pushed the score along with a 16-ball 29.

Seamer Asitha Fernando was the most successful Sri Lanka bowler with 4-43, while new-ball partner Lahiru Kumara and spinner Thilan Nimesh picked up two wickets each.

Sri Lanka slipped to 42-3 following the loss of skipper and star batsman Charith Asalanka in the 10th over, before Kamindu Mendis (39) and Shammu Ashan (38) engineered a brief recovery.

But, once left-arm spinner Mayank Dagar had Mendis caught off a top-edged sweep and Ashan ran himself out, Sri Lanka caved in tamely against the steady India bowlers.

Dagar finished with impressive figures of 3-21, while seamer Avesh Khan claimed 2-41.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan qualified for the Plate Championship final with an eight-wicket win over New Zealand in Cox’s Bazar.

Tuesday’s other result:

Plate semi-final:

Afghanistan beat New Zealand by eight wickets at Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium Academy Ground, Cox’s Bazar.

NEW ZEALAND 135 in 44.5 overs (A.A. Parikh 48, J.A. Clarkson 25, N.G. Smith 23; Shamsurrahman 3-37, Rashid Khan 3-30, Tariq Stanikzai 2-11, Zia-ur-Rehman 2-21); AFGHANISTAN 137-2 in 27.3 overs (Tariq Stanikzai 50 not out, Ihsanullah Janat 47; A.A. Parikh 2-50).

Wednesday’s fixtures (starting time 8:00am PST):

Fifth place playoff semi-final: England vs Namibia (Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium, Fatullah).

13th/14th place playoff: Ireland vs Scotland (Cox’s Bazar).

Scoreboard

INDIA:

R.R. Pant c P.V.R. de Silva b A.M. Fernando 14 Ishan Kishan c P.V.R. de Silva b Kumara 7 Anmolpreet Singh c P.V.R. de Silva b Nimesh72 Sarfaraz Khan c Ashan b A.M. Fernando59 Washington Sundar c P.V.R. de Silva b Nimesh43 Armaan Jaffer c Asalanka b A.M. Fernando29 M.K. Lomror c Kumara b A.M. Fernando11 M.J. Dagar c P.V.R. de Silva b Kumara 17 R.R. Batham run out 1 Avesh Khan not out 1 Khaleel Ahmed not out 0

EXTRAS (B-4, W-9) 13 TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 267

FALL OF WKTS: 1-23, 2-27, 3-123, 4-193, 5-218, 6-241, 7-254, 8-260, 9-264.

BOWLING: A.M. Fernando 10-0-43-4 (6); Kumara 10-0-50-2 (3w); Nimesh 10-0-50-2; P.W.H. de Silva 4-0-20-0; Silva 7-0-31-0; Mendis 1-0-10-0; Asalanka 8-0-59-0.

SRI LANKA:

W.M.K. Bandara run out 2 W.I.A. Fernando lbw b Avesh 4 P.H.K.D. Mendis c Washington b Dagar 39 K.I.C. Asalanka c Lomror b Batham 6 S. Ashan run out 38 P.V.R. de Silva c Pant b Avesh 28 B.A.D.N. Silva b Washington 24 P.W.H. de Silva c Avesh b Khaleel 8 S.H.T.N. Nimesh c Sarfaraz b Dagar 7 C.B.R.L.S. Kumara not out 0 A.M. Fernando c Anmolpreet b Dagar 0

EXTRAS (LB-5, W-8, NB-1) 14

TOTAL (all out, 42.4 overs) 170

FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-13, 3-42, 4-91, 5-108, 6-133, 7-149, 8170, 9-170.

BOWLING: Avesh Khan 9-0-41-2 (2w); Khaleel Ahmed 8-1-34-1 (1nb, 4w); Batham 6.5-1-19-1; Washington Sundar 7-0-27-1 (1w); Sarfaraz Khan 4.4-0-16-0; Dagar 5.4-0-21-3; Lomror 0.3-0-1-0; Anmolpreet Singh 1-0-6-0.

RESULT: India won by 97 runs.

UMPIRES: G.O. Brathwaite (West Indies) and M.D. Martell (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: A.T. Holdstock (South Africa).

MATCH REFEREE: A.J. Pycroft (Zimbabwe).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Anmolpreet Singh.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2016