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It was meant to be a big clash! Any cricket match involving India and Pakistan evokes with it its own sense of challenges and rivalry and the Under-19 World Cup semi-final between the two nations was no different. However, all the hype ended rather anti-climactically with a rampaging Indian team defeating their neighbours by a margin of 203 runs. Having scored 272/9 in their allotted overs, they shot down Pakistan for just 69 to enter the finals of the event undefeated and in dangerous form.
Here are the 5 talking points from the match.
#5 Shubman Gill’s streak of fifty-plus scores
Shubman Gill has been a revelation for the Indian side in this tournament, taking away all the limelight from Captain Prithvi Shaw. In every innings that he has batted he has notched up a total in excess of 50 in the tournament, and with an unbeaten 102 in 94 balls against Pakistan, he further displayed his grit in pressure situations.
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Coming in to bat after the loss of Shaw, the youngster took time settling in after which there was no stopping him. With beautiful shots around the mid-on and mid-wicket, Gill took ample opportunity to showcase his talent and it would not be a hyperbole to suggest that the Punjab player has played a crucial knock in guiding India to the finals.
With 341 runs in 5 innings, he has been a crucial player for the side and India would hope that he can continue his efforts in the finals as well.
#4 Muhammad Musa’s four-wicket haul
While the Indian batsmen were having a field day, Muhammad Musa entered the fray with his deliveries that were bowled in excess of 140kmph. He picked up Manjot Karla with a brilliant short ball delivery that caught the inside edge to the keeper behind.
Anukul Roy fell to a well-directed bouncer that was awkwardly climbing up to the batter’s right shoulder and Shivam Mavi was dismissed by a delivery that fell right in the blockhole. In between both the dismissals, Musa bowled a delivery that touched 146kmph on the speedometer!
His last wicket was that of Shiva Sigh, who was sent back plumb leg before and it capped off a memorable evening for the Pakistani, who finished with 4/67 in his quota of overs.
Along with Arshad Iqbal, who picked up 3 wickets, no player from his country could trouble the batsmen, which conveys the convincing win accorded against them.
#3 Ishan Porel’s late entry in the tournament
Ishan Porel’s injury in the first game of the tournament against Australia was rather unfortunate. Not only did he miss all of India’s league games henceforth, he also missed out on an opportunity to display his mettle on the big stage that could have fetched him an IPL contract. However, he failed to let the disappointment of missing out get to him in the semi-finals as he displayed a fine bowling spell in Christchurch at the Hagley Oval.
He began with a wonderful shorter delivery that cramped the batsman up for the room, only to dismiss him a few overs later. Imran Shah fell to an outside off delivery and Ali Zaryab too followed a similar route. Porel was assisted by the three maiden overs that were sent down by Mavi from the other end, which helped create an unwarranted pressure on the young Pakistani players.
The Bengal pacer picked up his fourth wicket when he dismissed Ammad Alam for 4 and by then, Pakistan had well and truly been kicked out of the game.
#2 The difference in the fielding standards between the two sides
A major difference between the two fielding sides was undoubtedly their varied efforts in the field. While India came home with a brilliant couple of catches, Pakistan were the opposite, dropping as many as three!
Mavi’s catch to dismiss Muhammad Zaid off the bowling of Porel was undoubtedly the catch of the day. The batsman had holed the delivery to the on-side, where Mavi was placed in the deep. He managed to hold on to the catch without stepping back on the boundary rope and this dismissal sent the Pakistan line-up faltering.
Shaw’s catch to send back Imran Shah was exemplary as well; diving to his left at backward point. Their quick reflexes were in sharp contrast to the Pakistani’s who never entered the game in any of the departments. Shaheen Afridi dropped an easy catch at slips and Manjot Kalra was offered yet another respite when Hasan Khan failed to latch on to an edge at slip.
While Pakistan were super-shoddy, India were as effective and in the end, it impacted the final result as well.
#1 Yet another final appearance!
Undefeated. Dominating. In fine form. India enter the finals of the ICC under-19 World Cup having taken all 50 wickets in the tournament. They have made easy work of their rivals in each encounter and on Saturday, they face Australia, whom they had defeated in their very first encounter in this edition.
Both Australia and India are three-time champions and come Saturday, one team will have the opportunity to become the most successful team in the history of the tournament.
The finals are in Bay Oval at Mount Maunganui and will commence at 6:30 am IST.
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