With a 77-run win over Afghanistan Under-19s in the semi-final, India Under-19s cantered into the final of Asian Cricket Council’s U-19 Asia Cup, 2016 in Sri Lanka. After India elected to bat, Himanshu Rana propelled the team to 294 with a sparkling 123-ball 130 even as wickets fell at regular intervals at the other end. The Indian attack, comprising seven bowlers then restricted Afghanistan to 217 for seven to claim victory.
After Prithvi Shaw was sent back by Wafadar Momand to end the opening stand for 40, Rana laid the foundation for a solid total with Shubman Gill (45 off 51 balls). The pair added 95 runs to the total until Shamsurrahman accounted for the No 3 bat. The opener however continued to milk the bowlers and had forged an 83-run partnership with Abhishek Sharma until the skipper was sent back by Naveen-ul-Haq. With Mujeeb, the pacer ran through the rest of the lineup to bowl India out with five balls to spare.
Naveen-ul-Haq finished with a five-for, which also included the wicket of Rana. After the opener departed with the team on 271 for six in the 45th over, the pacer followed up with the wicket of Kamlesh Nagakoti. In his next over, he accounted for Het Patel and Shiva Singh. Off the first ball of the last over, Rahul Chahar was run out which brought the Indian innings to an end.
Defending the total, India left Afghanistan reeling on 11 for two. They then plugged the flow of runs, and Yash Thakur claimed Traiq and Ikram Faizi to leave the opposition reeling at 46 for four. A while later, Chahar ended Ibrahim Zadran’s (33 off 77) resistance to reduce Afghanistan to 83 for five.
However, Nisar Wahadat and Shamsurrahman stitched a 94-run partnership for the sixth wicket to keep the innings afloat. Although, the balance was tipped in India’s favour, the duo put up a fight to extend the innings. The stand eventually was broken by Chahar, who claimed Wahadat for 75 to reduce the side to 177 for six in the 46th over. With the side on 190, Shamsurrahman was sent back by Nagarkoti for 49 (off 70). Facing an improbable task, Naveen-ul-Haq and Mujeeb then saw the team to 217 for seven as they played out the team’s quota of overs. Nagarkoti, Thakur and Chahar claimed two wickets each as they bowled the India to victory.
