India Batted Poorly as Pakistan's Minhas and Seamers Run Away With U19 Asia Cup Final (Instagram)
New Delhi: India’s Under-19 team faced a heavy defeat against arch-rivals Pakistan in the ACC Men's U19 Asia Cup final on Sunday. Pakistan posted a huge 347 for 8 after being asked to bat first at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai, led by a brilliant 172 from Sameer Minhas. His dominant innings set the tone and put India under pressure right from the start.
Minhas set the tone early with aggressive intent, reaching his century in quick time and hitting boundaries all around the ground. His innings put immense pressure on India’s bowlers, who failed to find consistency.
Chasing 348, India never managed to settle. The Indian batsmen lost key wickets at crucial stages. A promising start soon gave way to a slide. India were eventually bowled out for 156 in 26.2 overs, handing Pakistan a191-run victory.
Indian skipper Ayush Mhatre fell cheaply, and young opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi managed just 26 before being dismissed. The middle order struggled to handle disciplined Pakistan bowling.
Pakistan’s bowlers backed up their huge total with disciplined spells. They struck regularly and never let India build momentum. The seamers hit the right lengths, and India’s batters kept giving away their wickets, unable to build a substantial partnership at any stage.
There were a few small positives in India’s innings. Young players showed intent early, but they couldn’t convert starts into big scores under the pressure of a steep target. India’s fielding and bowling will be areas they need to work on ahead of future contests.
This triumph secures Pakistan’s second U-19 Asia Cup title and highlights the depth in their youth system. Their bowlers and batters showed balance and aggression throughout the match.
Elsewhere, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Dubai, adding a touch of official pomp to the trophy presentation.
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