India won the ACC Men's Under-19 Asia Cup on Saturday, beating Pakistan by one wicket after chasing 338 with the last ball of the match. The finish came at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Muscat, where the Pakistan U19 Asia Cup final was settled on the final delivery. Pakistan had seemed to be in command for long periods, but India's lower order finished the job.
The ACC is the Asia Cricket Council, the body that organises cricket across the continent, and this competition is for players under 19. A one-wicket margin is about as close as a result can get, so the match stayed open until the very end.
Pakistan's total of 337
Pakistan batted first and reached 337 for nine. Usman Khan made a century from 111 balls, while Abdul Qadir scored 80 from 54 deliveries and captain Farhan Yousaf added 63 from 60 balls. Those three innings gave Pakistan a total that looked hard to chase.
India's bowlers limited the damage towards the end of the innings. Kavya Paresh Patel took four wickets, Chigurupati Venkata took three and Arjun Rajput picked up one. India's reply began well, with captain Lakshya Raichandani making 80 from 101 balls and Aaryavir Sehwag adding 58 from 61.
Pakistan then struck at regular intervals to pull India back. India were 252 for eight in the 42nd over, which left them needing a late recovery.
India's chase and the final over
Manal Chauhan and Mohit Ulva put on 57 runs for the ninth wicket and revived India's hopes. Chauhan made 47 from 32 balls, with six boundaries, three of them sixes, before he was dismissed in the 48th over. India then needed 29 from the last 16 deliveries.
With eight runs needed off the final over, Pakistan's Ahmed Hussain conceded five runs from the first five balls, one of them a wide. Ulva then sent the last ball of the match to the boundary to finish it. He was unbeaten on 49 from 26 deliveries, and Chigurupati Venkata made 11 from eight.
The result gives India the Under-19 title and leaves Pakistan on the losing side of a final that was decided by a single wicket. For cricket followers, the Pakistan U19 Asia Cup final stands out because the margin was so small and the result hung on the last delivery.
Aasan alfaaz mein
India ne Pakistan ko ek wicket se haraa kar ACC Under-19 Asia Cup final jeet liya. Pakistan ne pehle batting karte hue 337 ran banaye, lekin India ne aakhri gend par 338 ka target poora kar diya. Yani match aakhri ball tak chala aur nateeja aakhir mein saamne aaya. Cricket ke shaukeen ke liye ye final yaadgaar raha, aur aam log ise ek bohat qareebi muqabla samajh sakte hain.
