LAHORE MIRROR — India defeated Pakistan by one wicket in a thrilling final of the U-19 Asia Cup in Muscat, chasing down a formidable target of 338 on the final ball to clinch the title.
Batting first after winning the toss, Pakistan posted an imposing 337 for nine in their allotted 50 overs, thanks largely to impressive centuries and half-centuries from Usman Khan and Abdul Qadir.
The Pakistani openers gave their side a flying start, putting Indian bowlers under pressure from the outset. Both batters struck half-centuries, with Abdul Qadir scoring a blistering 80 off 54 balls before being dismissed.
Usman Khan continued the assault, bringing up a superb century. He eventually departed after scoring 107 off 111 deliveries, providing the backbone of Pakistan’s innings.
India’s Kavya Paresh Patel was the pick of the bowlers, claiming four wickets, while Chigurupati Venkatesh took three.
In reply, India’s opening pair added 95 runs for the first wicket. Rayachandani scored 80, while Sehwag contributed 58, giving India a strong platform in their pursuit of the challenging target.
However, Pakistan fought back as wickets fell at regular intervals, leaving India struggling at 252 for eight. The match appeared to be slipping away from India before Mohit Leva produced a remarkable late assault.
Leva smashed 49 off just 25 deliveries to turn the game around, while Minhal Chauhan made a valuable contribution of 47 runs.
With three runs required from the final delivery bowled by Ahmed Hussain, Leva struck a boundary to seal a dramatic one-wicket victory and secure the U19 Asia Cup title for India.
