'He's a wizard' - Ian Bishop impressed with Ravi Bishnoi’s spin show against Pakistan

Leg-break bowler Ravi Bishnoi continued with his good form in the Under-19 World Cup in the semi-final match against Pakistan in Potchefstroom, South Africa, on Monday. With 11 wickets in his kitty in just four games before the derby, the Jodhpur lad ended up with 2 for 46 as India colts bowled the arch-rivals out for 172 in less than 44 overs. India thumped Australia by 74 runs in the quarter-finals and now look favourites to make their third consecutive U-19 World Cup final and the seventh overall.

Bishnoi picked the wickets of Fahad Munir (0) and Abbas Afridi (2) to put brakes on Pakistan’s scoring. The Boys in Green were comfortably placed at 3 for 118 in the 31st over but then lost their last seven wickets for only 54 to let India go into the driver’s seat. In the 2018 edition in New Zealand, too, India had thrashed Pakistan by 203 runs in the semi-final to make the final and eventually win it.

Ravi Bishnoi has picked two four-wicket hauls in the tournament

Bishnoi’s dismissal of Munir impressed many, including former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop. Munir failed to score a run in 15 balls before Bishnoi ended his agony. He pitched a googly on a good length and spun it away from the southpaw. Munir aimed to hit it on the leg side but failed to pick the variation and edged it to the fielder at backward point in the form of Atharva Ankolekar.

"He is a Wizard!"

Ian Bishop on Air about Ravi Bishnoi#U19CWC

— Manish 🏏 (@IManish311) February 4, 2020

Seeing him getting rid of Munir, Bishop, who was doing commentary for the game, praised Bishnoi as a “wizard”. The bowler has picked two four-wicket hauls in this tournament — against Japan and New Zealand — with his 4 for 5 against the Japanese as the best.

Bishnoi made his T20 and List-A debuts last year and in six matches in each format, he has picked 14 wickets in all. While the 2018 World Cup triumph saw pacers in Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Ishan Porel making the headlines, this year it has been a spinner in Bishnoi. New Zealand and Bangladesh play each other in the other semi-final on Thursday.

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