Nerveless Bangladesh win thrilling clash of familiar foes to secure maiden U19 World Cup title

Akbar Ali steadied a rain-shortened reply after India leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi had his side on the precipice of back-to-back youth crowns

• Visit the Under-19 World Cup hub

Bangladesh captain Akbar Ali held his nerve with a superb unbeaten 43 to lead his side to Under-19 World Cup glory on their country's very first trip to the final of a global ICC tournament.

A spirited and intense display from a close-knit side had restricted defending champions India to just 177 all out, but Ali transformed the chase from a rut at 65 for 4 to see his side home by three wickets when the game returned from a brief rain delay.

Erratic bowling from India's new ball bowlers allowed Bangladesh to make progress towards their 178 goal at a pace, with an innings-opening wide from Kartik Tyagi and a pair of head-high full tosses from Sushant Mishra filling the extras column early on. Tanzid Hasan Tamim soon had the Tigers' healthy support in fine voice after bringing up 50 for the opening wicket with a slog-sweep over cow corner in just the ninth over – a point at which an unhurried India had only 15 to their names.

However, Tamim's aggression just as quickly proved his undoing against the googlies of Ravi Bishnoi, who shortened his length and had the batsman caught at the long-on boundary by Tyagi just three deliveries later.

The wicket was the first in a devastating spell of 4-15 that saw Bishnoi overtake fellow leg-spinners Shafiqullah Ghafari and Tanveer Sangha to finish as the tournament's leading bowler, with 17 wickets at 10.64 – the most wickets at an Under-19 World Cup for any bowler since England's Reece Topley's 19 in 2012.

After bowling 11 consecutive dot balls, he soon plunged the chase into complete disarray by dismissing semi-final centurion Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Towhid Hridoy and Shahadat Hossain in consecutive overs, while Tamim's top-order partner Parvez Hossain Emon left the field upon the fall of Joy's wicket suffering from cramp.

India entered the tournaments as both defending champions and clear favourites, but hopes of becoming only the second side to retain the title (after Pakistan in 2004 and 2006) looked very slim at the innings break after a feeble batting display against an intense and energised Bangladesh side.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal looked impressive for 88 – his fifth score of 50 or more in the six-match tournament, ensuring the 18-year-old finished as the tournament's most prolific batsman – but India's innings faded quickly after he fell to the penultimate ball of the 40th over.

A satisfactory if not imposing platform of 156 for 3 ended as 177 all out, with left-arm quick opening the floodgates by ending Jaiswal's innings 39 overs after exchanging false shots and fierce stares in the day's opening over, and trapping new man Siddhesh Veer with the very next delivery.

India's woes were compounded three overs later by a moment of farce, as final recognised batsman Dhruv Chand Jurel committed to a single that tail-end partner Atharva Ankolekar declined. Third umpire Raveendra Wimalasiri was called upon to adjudicate a photo finish between the pair at the non-strikers' end, while the ball was instead in the gloves of Akbar Ali 22 yards away.