Thrilling finishes in the history of ICC U19 Cricket World Cup

20 January – Bangladesh v Pakistan

Group D

At Palmerston North: Bangladesh 250-5, 50 overs (Mahmudul Hasan 63, Anamul Haque 55; Usman Qadir 2-44)

Pakistan 251-6, 49.5 overs (Babar Azam 91, Ahmed Shehzad 52; Mahmudul Hasan 2-36)

Result: Pakistan won by four wickets

Bangladesh and Group D, though, weren’t done with thrilling finishes – there was another in store for them three days later. Bangladesh batted first after winning the toss against Pakistan, and after a much more substantial contribution from their top and middle-orders, posted 250-5.

Pakistan openers Ahmed Shehzad and Babar Azam (the man of the match) laid just the foundation their team needed, putting on 104 from 26.4 overs. However, the middle order self-destructed, and at 199-6 after 46.3 overs, Pakistan was up against it. The equation of 52 from 21 balls didn’t daunt debutante Mohammad Waqas, though, after he came in at the fall of the sixth wicket. He smashed 34 off just 14 balls, taking his side to a seemingly improbable victory alongside Hammad Azam, who scored 27 off 22.

The death-defying turnaround had major consequences for the tournament. Pakistan maintained its hundred percent record and topped Group D, while Bangladesh’s second heart-breaking loss put it out of the tournament, sending the West Indies through to the quarter-finals at its expense.

2012 – Australia

14 August – Afghanistan v New Zealand

Group B

At Buderim, Queensland: New Zealand 198 all out, 50 overs (Robert O’Donnell 69, Henry Walsh 52; Sayed Shirzad 4-34, Yamin Ahmadzai 4-35)

Afghanistan 190-9, 50 overs (Najibullah Zadran 69, Afsar Zazai 42; Matthew Quinn 4-26, Jacob Duffy 4-40)

Result: New Zealand won by eight runs

After winning the toss and batting first, New Zealand faltered to 20-3 before a 108-run fourth-wicket stand from 28.5 overs between Robert O’Donnell and Henry Walsh gave its innings some backbone. Left-arm medium bowler Sayed Shirzad and right-arm medium fast bowler Yamin Ahmadzai, however, completed four-wicket hauls as New Zealand was eventually bowled out for 198.

In reply, Afghanistan slipped to 26-5 in the 10^th over, as right-arm seamers Jacob Duffy and Matthew Quinn used the conditions to their advantage. Najibullah Zadran and Afsar Zazai, however, had not given up the ghost. Their well-constructed innings brought the equation down to a very achievable 28 off three overs for Afghanistan. Quinn and Duffy then returned with superb second spells to tie their Associate opponents down and help New Zealand complete a nerve-jangling eight-run win.

20 August – India v Pakistan

Third quarter-final

At Townsville, Queensland: Pakistan 136 all out, 45.1 overs (Babar Azam 50, Ehsan Adil 35; Sandeep Sharma 3-24, Ravikant Singh 3-43)

India 137-9, 48 overs (Baba Aparajith 51, Vijay Zol 36; Zia-ul-Haq 3-23, Azizullah 3-30)

Result: India won by one wicket

After winning the toss and batting first despite overnight rain and cloud cover, Pakistan saw all its frontline batsmen apart from opener Babar Azam floundering. Right-arm medium bowlers Sandeep Sharma and Ravikant Singh took three wickets apiece, as Pakistan was bowled out for a mere 136. None of its batsmen apart from Babar, Umar Waheed and Ehsan Adil could reach double figures.

Chasing a modest 137 to win, India made heavy weather of its reply, slumping to 84-5 in the 27^th over. Man of the match Baba Aparajith and Smit Patel, though, calmed the nerves in their dressing room as they took their side to within 17 runs of victory. Then came a manic 4.5-over period that saw India losing four wickets for just seven runs and collapsing to 127/9. The last-wicket pair of Harmeet Singh and Sandeep Sharma ground out seven overs to knock off the remaining 10 runs, adding yet another exciting chapter to the traditional India-Pakistan rivalry.