Pakistan U19 will take on Sri Lanka U19 in the first semi-final of the ACC U19 Asia Cup 2021. The ICC Academy Ground in Dubai will host this exciting contest.
Pakistan U19 topped Group A with six points. They defeated UAE 19 in their last group game to secure a berth in the semi-finals. Batting first, Pakistan posted 219 on the board, losing eight wickets. Skipper Qasim Akram scored a fifty.
The bowlers then stepped up and backed up their batters by picking wickets at regular intervals to restrict the hosts to 198, winning the game by 21 runs. They will be hoping to repeat their performance in the knockout stages of the competition.
Sri Lanka U19, meanwhile, finished in second place in the points table. They won their first two games but their last group game against Bangladesh U19 was canceled due to a COVID-19 scare. The two match officials tested positive and the game was canceled.
The Lankans have been brilliant in the competition so far. They defeated Kuwait comprehensively in their first match and followed it up by winning against Nepal. They posted 322 on the board against Nepal and knocked over the Nepalese side on 262 to win the game by 60 runs. They need to be on their toes while facing Pakistan in the first semi-final.
Pakistan U19 vs Sri Lanka U19 Match Details:
Match: Pakistan U19 vs Sri Lanka U19, Semi-Final 1, U19 Asia Cup 2021
Date and Time: December 30th 2021, Thursday, 11:00 AM IST
Venue: ICC Academy Ground, Dubai
Pakistan U19 vs Sri Lanka U19 Pitch Report
The pitch at ICC Academy Ground is a balanced track. The new ball comes nicely onto the bat and the batters can play their strokes freely, once set. The spinners will play a major role while bowling on this surface as the ball tends to hold a bit on the surface as the game progresses.
Pakistan U19 vs Sri Lanka U19 Weather Forecast
The temperature in Dubai is expected to hover between 19 and 26 degrees Celsius. It will stay humid throughout the day.
Pakistan U19 vs Sri Lanka U19 Probable XIs
Pakistan U19
Qasim Akram was his side's top scorer with 50 as they posted 219 on the board against UAE. Akram then picked up three wickets and was well-supported by the other bowlers as they defended the total successfully.
Probable XI
Abdul Wahid, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Shehzad, Abdul Faseeh, Qasim Akram (c), Haseebullah (wk), Irfan Khan, Ahmad Khan, Mehran Mumtaz, Faisal Akram, Mohammad Zeeshan
Sri Lanka U19
On the back of brilliant centuries from Chamindu Wickramasinghe (111) and Sadisha Rajapaksa (131), Sri Lanka posted 322 against Nepal. Matheesha Pathirana and Raveen de Silva picked up three wickets apiece as they knocked Nepal over on 262, winning comprehensively by 60 runs.
Probable XI
Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Shevon Daniel, Sadisha Rajapaksa, Pawan Pathiraja, Ranuda Somarathne, Dunith Wellalage (c), Yasiru Rodrigo, Anjala Bandara (wk), Raveen de Silva, Matheesha Pathirana, Wanuja Sahan
Pakistan U19 vs Sri Lanka U19 Match Prediction
Both sides are unbeaten in the competition so far and the first semi-final clash promises to be a cracking one. Both sides have fired in unison till now and will look to perform in the same way on Thursday.
Pakistan U19 have a good balance to their side—expect them to come out on top on Thursday.
Prediction: Pakistan U19 to win this encounter.
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