Defending champions India narrowly avoided what would be a shocking defeat to Scotland as their top order batsmen failed to perform against the Scottish bowlers.

Although India did secure their place in the quarter-finals with a five-wicket win in double quick time, Scotland looked hopeful as Indias batting line up stumbled early into the second innings 

After bowling brilliantly to dismiss Scotland for a mere 88 runs, which included a hat-trick for Kuldeep Yadav, India were staring at a defeat when they lost their first five wickets with just 22 runs on the board in the eighth over.

Sarfaraz Khan, hero of India’s win on Saturday in their opening match against Pakistan, and Deepak Hooda then got together and hauled India over the line with an unbroken sixth wicket stand of 70.

Khan was unbeaten on 45 and he finished off the match with a six and a four off successive deliveries. Left-arm spinner Chayank Gosain (3-31 in 10 overs), who moved to Edinburgh as a nine-year-old from Delhi, was the one to give India early jitters, taking the first three wickets after opening the bowling.

His new-ball partner, the impressive fast bowler Gavin Main, picked up the other two. Earlier, Scotland won the toss and elected to bat first on a wicket that was much trickier than the adjacent strip which was used in India’s first match.

Opening bowlers Milind Chama and Avesh Khan bowled to an excellent line and length and shared the first two wickets to fall, before spinners Yadav and Aamir Gani took over.

Yadav removed Nick Farrar and Kyle Stirling with his last two balls of the fourth over, and then clean bowled Alex Baum with the first of his fifth to become the first Indian to take a hat-trick in the U19 World Cup.

Yadav eventually finished with 4-28, the same as Gani, and was named the Man of the Match.