Pakistan defeated arch-rivals India in emphatic fashion to win the Under-19 Asia Cup for the first time in their history, producing a dominant all-round performance in the final.
Although Pakistan have won the ICC Under-19 World Cup twice, they had never lifted the Under-19 Asia Cup before. In the 2012 edition, Pakistan and India were declared joint champions, but this time Pakistan claimed the title outright after a one-sided final against India.
Batting first after India won the toss and opted to field, Pakistan posted a massive total of 347 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in 50 overs, setting India a daunting target of 348.
Pakistan opener Sameer Minhas starred with a sensational innings, smashing a blistering century off just 71 balls in the final. He went on to play a breathtaking knock of 172 runs off 113 deliveries, hitting 17 fours and 9 sixes, completely dismantling the Indian bowling attack.
Minhas reached triple figures with 12 fours and 4 sixes and looked unstoppable before eventually being dismissed by Kanshik Chauhan, with Deepesh taking the catch.
Among other contributors, Ahmed Hussain scored 56 runs off 72 balls, while Usman Khan (35), captain Farhan Yousaf (19), Hamza Zahoor (18), Naqab Shafiq (12), Muhammad Siyam (13), Abdul Subhan (2) and Muhammad Shayan (7) added valuable runs. Hudhaifa Ehsan was dismissed for a duck.
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In reply, India’s Under-19 team collapsed under pressure and were bowled out for just 156 runs, falling short by a huge margin. India lost their first wicket at 32 runs, followed by two more at 49. The collapse continued rapidly, with India reduced to seven wickets down for 100 runs, before their innings ended at 156.
Pakistan captain Farhan Yousaf had said before the final that the team was fully prepared, determined to put up a strong fight and win the title a promise his team fulfilled in style.
Pakistan reached the final after defeating Bangladesh by 8 wickets in the first semi-final, while India beat Sri Lanka in the second semi-final.
With this historic victory, Pakistan have now added the Under-19 Asia Cup to their list of youth cricket achievements, marking a memorable milestone for the team.
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