ICC U19 World Cup: Jaiswal, bowlers help India U19 thump Pakistan U19 to enter finals
Scorecard
Pakistan U19: 172 all-out (43.1 overs)
Rohail Nazir 62(102), Haider Ali 56(77); Sushant Mishra 3/28
India U19: 176-0 (35.2 overs)
Yashasvi Jaiswal 105*(113), Divyansh Saxena 59*(99)
For more score updates and scorecard, click here.
India are now just one step away from defending their U19 World Cup crown as they comprehensively beat Pakistan by 10 wickets. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Divyansh Saxena did not give Pakistan bowlers any chance as the former scored a brilliant century (105*) while the latter played a supportive knock of 59*, thereby helping India to come within one step of winning their fifth title.
Earlier, Pakistan opted to bat first with a view of putting runs on the board and applying scoreboard pressure in a crunch game. However, that decision backfired when Pakistan lost two quick wickets in the form of the in-form Mohammad Hurraira and Fahad Munir, leaving them in a spot of bother at 34-2. Haider Ali then got together with skipper Rohail Nazir and began to stabilize the Pakistan innings. Haider scored a well-made 56 while Nazir's fighting knock of 62 kept the scoreboard ticking. But wickets kept on falling at the other end as Pakistan got bowled out for just 172.
Haider Ali and Rohail Nazir stabilized Pakistan's ship
Pakistan were 34-2 and were in a spot of bother as the Indian new ball bowlers had their tails up and were smelling blood. The in-form Hurraira had returned in the hut and Munir had wasted 16 balls without troubling the scorers. But Haider kept on playing positively and was ably supported by the skipper and wicketkeeper Rohail Nazir. Adding 62 runs for the third wicket, the duo negotiated the pacers and also began to dominate the proceedings. When Haider Ali was dismissed for 56, Nazir made sure that at least one end of the pitch kept the run-flow intact and made top-scored for Pakistan with 62.
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Indian bowlers derail Pakistan batting
India had to start well with the ball in order to avoid Pakistan get off to a good start and post a big total. Sushant Mishra Struck in his very first over when he removed the dangerous Mohammad Huraira. Fahad Munir's dismal stay at the crease was ended by leggie Ravi Bishnoi. When Haider and Nazir strung together a partnership and threatened to take the game away from India, the most unlikeliest of sources in the form of Yashasvi Jaiswal provided the breakthrough and broke the game open. Mishra was the pick of the bowlers as he ended up with figures of 3 for 28 while Bishnoi and Kartik Tyagi supported well with two wickets each. Pakistan were never able to inject any momentum towards the end of their innings as they got bowled out for just 172 in the 44th over.
Fantastic opening stand for India
Pakistan's only chance in the game now was to pick up early wickets and put the Indians on the back foot. However, that was not to be as the openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Divyansh Saxena gave India the best possible start. The duo saw off the new ball with ease and played positively, giving the Pakistan bowlers no chance at all. Jaiswal's fantastic century (105*) coupled with Saxena's 59* ensured that India chased down the target with no damage whatsoever in the wickets column. This completed a comprehensive victory and continued India's dominance over Pakistan in World Cups.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was adjudged the Man of the Match for his fantastic 105*. He did not only negotiate the initial burst from the Pakistan seamers, but also capitalized on the loose balls later and ensured that the bowlers did not have a look into the Indian middle-order.
Here were his thoughts after the game:
It is a dream come true for me. Really happy with what I did for my country, I can't express it in words. I'll never forget that I scored a hundred in the World Cup against Pakistan. It is just the start though, I have to work really hard in the future as well.