Nepali cricket administrators were left with a lot to ponder when India hammered Nepal by seven wickets in the ICC U-19 World Cup in Mirpur, Bangladesh on Monday.

Expectations were high, especially after their stunning victory over Test giants New Zealand and a comfortable 8-wicket thumping of Ireland. Against a disciplined Indian attack, Nepali batsmen put a respectable total of 169-8 in 48 overs.

Nepali bowling looked in fine fettle coming into Monday’s game, but India, coached by former Test star Rahul Dravid, chased down the total in just 18.1 overs with seven wickets in hand. The result exposed the gulf between a Test giant and a fledgling nation that is trying to find its feet in world cricket.

But Nepal are still in the tournament; they have qualified as Group ‘D’ runners-up into the quarter-finals where they will play either Bangladesh or Namibia.

Nepal’s bowling coach Binod Das was not ready to admit his side was incompetent, urging the fans to keep the faith on the team.

“This (match) was a big learning curve for us. We need to put in our best effort to compete against top teams like India,” Das told the Post from Bangladesh.

The two-time World Cup and one-time World Twenty20 champions India boast talent in abundance and a rich domestic structure. But Nepal, where the game has been affected by the fractured administration, have not played a national tournament since September 2014. Nepal had to prepare for U-19 World Cup at Dharamshala in India as their only international ground at Tribhuvan University was not in the shape.

“It’s up to our people who run the game in Nepal to find the ways to fill this gap with India. If you need better players, give them better infrastructure and facilities,” said Das, who led Nepal in the U-19 World Cup twice.

“We are not very far behind in terms of talent compared to Test teams. With little bit of experience at this level, we can be a very competitive team. Yes they [India] bat really well, but they didn’t scale that height overnight. We have to learn the process of reaching there and it will take time,” the former national team skipper concluded.