A powerful India will try to emphasize their superiority over bitter rivals in an attempt to win a record-extending 12th trophy when they play Pakistan in the Under-19 Asia Cup final on Sunday at the ICC Academy in Dubai.
The Indian colts, captained by Ayush Mhatre, have been outstanding, winning all of their Group A games to finish ahead of Pakistan, who lost to India by 90 runs last Sunday, their only group-stage setback.
India defeated Sri Lanka by eight wickets on Friday, carrying that momentum into the semifinals. In contrast, Pakistan advanced to the final by eliminating Bangladesh, the reigning champions. The foundation of India’s run to the final has been an all-around effort, with bowlers and hitters working together harmoniously to create a strong team.
With the bat, India have been nothing short of spectacular, posting two 400-plus totals. The 50-over tournament has seen the rise of exciting young talents, such as 17-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Abhigyan Kundu.
While India amassed 433/6 in the first match against the United Arab Emirates thanks to a stunning 95-ball 171 from young prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kundu made history against Malaysia. The left-hander became the first Indian to achieve a double century in Youth ODIs after smashing an undefeated 125-ball 209.
Against a disciplined bowling attack from Pakistan, the pair will aim for another strong performance. India’s middle order has performed admirably even when the top order has struggled.
Aaron George of Hyderabad has been the key player, scoring three consecutive half-centuries and frequently batting through the crucial middle overs with a strike rate of at least 100. Vihaan Malhotra, a left-handed option who recently scored 61 not out against Sri Lanka, has skillfully assisted him.
All-rounder Kanishk Chouhan, who has transformed the finisher’s role with a strike rate of over 127 while making important breakthroughs with the ball, adds depth. In four games, Chouhan has claimed six wickets, including an impressive 3/33 against Pakistan during the group stage.
With 11 wickets, Deepesh Devendran, who shares the tournament record with Abdul Subhan of Pakistan, topped India with the ball. With the new ball, Deepesh has flourished by bowling probing lines at speeds above 130 kmph.
His impressive 5/22 spell against Malaysia demonstrated his menace, and against Pakistan, he destroyed the top order by dismissing three batters in a row, including Sameer Minhas, the tournament’s top scorer.
Minhas enters the final fresh off a half-century against Bangladesh and will be eager to make amends after hitting an undefeated 177 against Malaysia.
With Subhan at the top of the charts and strong backing from left-arm pacers Mohammad Sayyam and Ali Raza, Pakistan’s pace-heavy bowling arsenal is their greatest asset. As Pakistan tries to undermine India’s batting powerhouse, leg-spinner Ahmed Hussain brings diversity, while left-armer Niqab Shafiq dazzled with a two-wicket burst against India.
The Farhan Yousaf-led team, which has struggled for consistency and will be eager to stop their repeated reversals against India at the greatest stage, is still concerned about batting.
In order to win the Asia Cup (T20) in September, India’s senior squad whitewashed Pakistan three times; the younger team will look to maintain this trend.
Players from both sides are expected to follow the no-handshake rule, just as in prior meetings.
Pakistan won the Asia Cup once, in 2012, and has subsequently finished second twice, in 2013–14 and 2017.
Teams (from):
India: Ayush Mhatre (C), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Vihaan Malhotra (vc), Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), Yuvraj Gohil, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A. Patel, Naman Pushpak, D. Deepesh, Henil Patel, Kishan Kumar Singh*, Udhav Mohan, Aaron George
Pakistan: Farhan Yousaf (captain), Usman Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Hasan Baloch, Ali Raza, Daniyal Ali Khan, Hamza Zahoor (wk), Huzaifa Ahsan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Sayyam, Mohammad Shayan (wk), Niqab Shafiq, Sameer Minhas and Mohammad Huzaifa
