DUBAI: Pakistan’s Under-19 side produced a strong batting display to post 347/8 against India in the final of the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup on Sunday in Dubai.
After winning the toss, India chose to bowl first. Pakistan’s innings was headlined by an outstanding knock from opener Sameer Munhas, who smashed 172 runs, laced with 17 boundaries and nine sixes. He anchored the innings and kept the scoreboard moving at a brisk pace.
Ahmed Hussain supported well with a half-century, scoring 56, while Usman Khan added a handy 35. Captain Farhan Yousaf chipped in with 19 runs, and wicketkeeper Hamza Zahoor contributed 18 as Pakistan set a daunting target of 348.
As seen earlier in the tournament, there was no exchange of handshakes between the captains at the toss or during the pre-match trophy photo session.
Ahead of the final, Pakistan skipper Farhan Yousaf expressed confidence in his squad, stating they were well-prepared and determined to fight for the title.
Pakistan reached the final after defeating Bangladesh by eight wickets in the first semi-final, while India secured their spot with a win over Sri Lanka in the second semi-final.
Although Pakistan have lifted the ICC Under-19 World Cup twice, they are yet to win the Under-19 Asia Cup. In the 2012 edition, the title was shared between Pakistan and India.
Teams
Pakistan: Sameer Minhas, Usman Khan, Ahmed Hussain, Farhan Yousaf (c), Hamza Zahoor (wk), Huzaifa Ahsan, Niqab Shafiq, Mohammad Shayan, Ali Raza, Abdul Subhan, Mohammad Sayyam
India: Ayush Mhatre (c), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Aaron George, Vihaan Malhotra, Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan Patel, Henil Patel, Deepesh Devendran, Kishan Singh
