Pakistan captain Sami Aslam scored 64 runs for his team but lost his wicket at a crucial time as India clawed back. PHOTO FILE ACC
India started their campaign in the U19 World Cup on a positive note by beating archrivals Pakistan by 40 runs in a Group A match played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Set a target of 263 runs for a win, the Pakistani batsmen caved in after a solid start. Openers Sami Aslam and Imamul Haq started steadily but were sent back at a crucial juncture of the innings.
Their stand for the first wicket was worth 109 runs, yet the rest of the batting order caved in with the former champions folding for 222 runs in the penultimate over of the match.
Left-handed Aslam, who has scored the most runs in U19 international cricket, top scored for Pakistan with a patient 64 off 85 balls before running himself out. His innings was studded with six fours.
After his departure, the rest of the batsmen failed to capitalise on the start and were rolled over by Indian spinners. For the defending champions, Deepak Honda was the star performer with the ball, claiming five wickets for 41 runs with his sharp spinning off-breaks.
Indian batsmen make most of the conditions
Earlier in the day, the Indian batsmen made the most of some loose bowling by Pakistan new ball bowlers at the start of the innings.
The opening pair of Ankush Bains and Akhel Herwadkar added 65 runs in a mere 8.1 overs. However, the boys in green roared back taking four wickets for the addition of 29 runs.
Sanju Samson and Sarfaraz Khan ensured that India posts a challenging score through a fifth wicket alliance worth 119 runs.
Samson was dismissed for 68; Sarfaraz played an enterprising innings of 74 off 78 balls to take his team past the 250- run mark.
Irfanullah Shah who bowled with venom on a largely docile track returned impressive figures of two for 32 in his ten overs quota; he was ably assisted by right-arm leg spinner Karamat Ali who claimed two wickets for 37 runs in his stipulated 10 overs.
The Indian total of 262 was the highest achieved against Pakistan in U19 World Cups and turned out to be a total beyond the reach of Aslam’s team.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 16th, 2014.
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@Fighter: Fixed??? Could be. Given the record of your seniors in fixing cases, it won't be much of a surprise to see Juniors following the suit. Suits the national character of Pakistanis.
Pakistan doesn't have a good team...no depth in bowling ...I don't why they didn't add shinwari to the team...this team lacks depth and hunger that earlier teams used to have. India has a better skipper and more hungry team
@Fighter you seem to be fighting against sanity..some common sense please.how on earth a winning team can fix a match,without the active support of the losing team?either you want to imply the collaboration of Pakistani colts in some wrongdoing or you are saying that BCCI fixed match with Indian team to win this match..and you mean to also say that every player in Pakistan is open for sale irrespective of age and experience...
@Fighter:
Why can't Pakistanis be good losers? Why do they always see some sinister hand behind every defeat on their part and blame others for their inadequacies and failures? Why can't they acknowledge that they were defeated but would work towards faring better next time? Failure is, in fact, the first step to success, if the failed person learns a lesson rather than go on a chest-thumping hysteria and blame others all the time. It's getting a bit monotonous for the world which knows what Pakistanis are actually capable of. This attitude is noticed not just in other aspects of life (particularly politics) but also, sadly, in the gentleman's game where conceding defeat is considered to be part of the whole exercise.
This is a conspiracy by the "big three" to defame and isolate pakistan cricket.
@Fighter , sour looser. hahahaha
Well done boys.A good fight back.Keep up the good work till you retain the cup.
This is merely a starter, there is still a long way to go in the Tournament.
Less said is better. Another fixed match by BCCI.