MUSCAT (The Thursday Times) — India beat defending champions Pakistan by one wicket off the final ball to win the Under-19 Asia Cup at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground on Saturday, after No. 10 batter Mohit Ulva hit a boundary with three runs needed.
Chasing 338, India were 252 for eight and seemed out of the match before Ulva and Manal Chauhan put on 57 for the ninth wicket. Chauhan fell for 47 with 29 still needed, but Ulva finished unbeaten on 49 off 26 balls, with Chigurupati Venkata holding firm at the other end.
Captain Lakshya Raichandani top-scored for India with 80 and Aaryavir Sehwag made 58, but Pakistan kept taking wickets through the middle overs. Hasnain Abbas held a one-handed catch to remove Raichandani, and Anvay Dravid was run out for 19 soon after, leaving India with the tail to find the runs.
Pakistan had won the toss, chosen to bat, and made 337 for nine. Opener Usman Khan scored 107 and shared a stand of 135 with Abdul Qadir, who struck 80 off 54 balls. Captain Farhan Yousaf added a half-century to take Pakistan past 300, before India’s seamers pulled the total back late in the innings. Kavya Patel took four wickets for 68 and Venkata three for 40.
The final was a rematch of last year’s, which Pakistan won by 191 runs. Pakistan reached this year’s final unbeaten, having beaten Bangladesh by nine wickets in the semi-final and India in the group stage, when Hamza Zahoor scored an unbeaten hundred.
