Pakistan produced an all-rounder masterclass to cruise past arch-rivals India by 192 runs in the U19 Asia Cup Final. Pakistan posted a mammoth target of 348 runs in the match on October 15, 2023. Too bad for their competitors, none of them managed to meet this rigorous target.
Pakistan batted first and amassed an impressive total of 347 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their allotted 50 overs. Central to their success was Sameer Minhas, who played a fantastic match-winning knock of 172 runs off just 113 balls. His fiery spell was monumental in pushing Pakistan to a total that would test even the best of teams.
In reply, India found it difficult to get going against a persistent Pakistani bowling lineup. The talented Indian batting lineup completely crumbled under pressure, with the entire team bowled out for a mere 156 runs in just 26.2 overs. Deepesh Devendran was the star performer for India, whacking 36 runs off just 16 balls. He was sorely lacking in support from his fellow farmers.
It was Pakistan’s bowlers, rather than their top order batters, that proved decisive in delivering the win. Ali Raza’s fantastic bowling efforts were top points and he was the architect of the Indian collapse, recording superb figures of 4-31. Abdul Subhan and Mohammad Sayyam were the pick of the bowlers, as they claimed 2 wickets each to make things even more difficult for Pakistan’s opponents.
India’s chase started badly, with Kishan Singh departing in the first over for just three runs off six balls. Henil Patel and Kanishk Chouhan were stymied as well, managing just six and nine runs, respectively. Khilan Patel captain top scored with a run-a-ball 19. Sadly, they were not enough to prevent the long-winded losing streak.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi had briefly raised hopes with a speedy 26 runs off 10 balls but failed to carry forward the charge. Ayush Mhatre’s wicket for just two runs ended any hope for India as their batting line fell all out to the brilliance of Pakistan’s bowling attack.