U-19 World Cup: India Reach Fifth Consecutive Final
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
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By Linus Garg
First publised on 2024-02-07 08:21:03
About the Author
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
View all posts by this Author
The U-19 World Cup semifinal between India and South Africa was a match that was marked by excellent performances but also a near death wish by India in the closing stages of the chase. Ultimately, the Indian boys kept their nerve and won the game by 2 wickets. Chasing a target of 245 to win the game, India began disastrously as the in-form Adarsh Singh was out first ball. The Indians were 4 down for 32 in no time and had lost their top order, including the man in prolific form, Musheer Khan, for 4. For the South Africans, Tristan Luus was on fire. But that brought together skipper Uday Saharan and Sanjay Dhas, the hero of the last match. They turned the game with their 171-run fifth wicket partnership. But once Dhas was dismissed just four short of a well-deserved century with the target within reach, the Indians somehow began to lose their way. Aravelly Avanish went for a big hit and was caught at the boundary although as heard on the stump mike audio, the skipper was always reminding him that with run-a-ball needed, there was no need for big shots. There were two unnecessary run outs, including that of a furious Saharan. In the end, Raj Limbani hit a six and took a few ones and twos to ensure that there were no further hiccups and the match was won by two wickets to enter their fifth straight finals.
Earlier, the Indian bowlers did well to restrict the South Africans to 244 after at one time it looked as if they would reach 275 or more. Raj Limbani once again provided good breakthroughs to peg them back. For once, Saumy Pandey, although he did not give away many runs, was not very penetrative. Musheer Khan also chipped in with two wickets and Priyanshu Moliya bowled a restrictive line to choke the South Africans.
The Indian boys now await the winner of the other semifinal between Australia and Pakistan. Given their form and unbeaten status, they will be favourites to retain the title.
