Indian origin openers Jakob Bhula and Rachit Ravindra’s blistering strokeplay propelled New Zealand to the second highest total of the U-19 World Cup on Wednesday at Christchurch.
New Zealand posted a whopping a 436 for 4 against Kenya in their Group A match. Right-handed opening batsman Jakob Bhula slammed 180 off 144 balls – the highest individual score of the youth world cup.
The highest total of 480 for 6 belongs to Australia against the same oppositions, scored in the 2002 edition of the world cup.
Bhula was ably supported by his opening partner Rachit Ravindra, who notched up 117 off 101 balls. Together the duo put on a massive 245-run opening stand, the highest ever in U-19 World Cup after Kenya sent them in on a placid batting track.
Bhula hit five sixes and 10 fours in his mammoth 180-run innings. This whirlwind innings comes after his solid 83 in New Zealand’s opening match against West Indies which they won comfortably by eight wickets.
His partner at the other end, Ravindra, was slow in the beginning but gathered pace as soon as he got his eye in and went to score at a strike rate of 115.84 before getting stumped to hand Kenya their first success of the morning in the 36th over.
But there was no respite for the Kenyans as in walked Finn Allen, who launched an unprecedented attack right from the word go. He narrowly fell short from a well-deserved hundred after getting out for 90 from just 40 balls that included eight hits to the fence and six over them.
Kenya pulled things back slightly by picking up three quick wickets as the hosts went from 401 for 1 to 401 for 4 but the damage was already done.