India suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the Under-19 Asia Cup. The Indian youth team failed to match the Men in Green in any department, be it batting or bowling.
In the group-stage match of the Under-19 Asia Cup held in Dubai on Saturday, Pakistan defeated India by 43 runs. Saad Baig’s team started their campaign with a victory.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Pakistan scored 281 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. Shahzaib Khan played a brilliant innings, scoring 159 runs single-handedly. In reply, the Indian youth team was bowled out for 238 runs in 47.1 overs.
Pakistan exuded confidence from the start. Their opening partnership scored 160 runs in 30.4 overs. Usman Junior departed after scoring 60 runs off 94 balls, leaving Shahzaib at the crease. Apart from Riazullah (27), no other batter contributed significantly.
Pakistan was at 241 for 2 in 43.3 overs but lost 5 wickets while adding the final 33 runs. However, Shahzaib’s remarkable knock of 159 off 147 balls provided Pakistan with a solid total.
For India, Samarth Nagaraj was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 3 wickets for 45 runs.
In response, India lost wickets at regular intervals and was reduced to 80 for 4 in 21 overs. Nikhil Kumar and Kiran tried to stabilize the innings with a 53-run partnership before Kiran was dismissed for 20 runs.
Nikhil fought hard with a 67-run knock off 77 balls, but his dismissal marked the turning point, pushing India out of contention. In the end, Mohammad Inan and Yudhajit Guha put up a 47-run partnership for the last wicket, but it wasn’t enough.
Inan was run out for 30 off 22 balls, and Guha remained unbeaten on 13 off 22 balls. Pakistan celebrated the win as Inan’s dismissal sealed the game.
For Pakistan, Ali Raza took 3 wickets, while Abdul Subhan and Faham-ul-Haq claimed two wickets each.
