ACC U19 Asia Cup 2023 Points Table: Updated standings after India vs Pakistan
Pakistan U19 stunned India U19 by eight wickets in the second clash on the third day of the ACC U19 Asia Cup 2023. In the other game, Afghanistan U19 defeated Nepal U19 by 73 runs.
Pakistan U19s are currently leading Group A standings with four points at a net run rate (NRR) of 1.563. India U19s are in the second position with two points at an NRR of 0.454.
Afghanistan U19 moved up to the third spot with a win over Nepal U19. They are carrying two points with an NRR of 0.203. Nepal U19s are the wooden spoon holders and are winless so far.
In Group B, Sri Lanka U19s and Bangladesh U19s are occupying the top two positions with two points apiece. UAE and Japan are yet to open their accounts.
Group A
Group B
Afghanistan and Pakistan bag comprehensive wins
Speaking about the first game, Afghanistan were tasked to bat first after losing the toss. Openers Wafiullah (15) and Khalid Taniwal (10) couldn't make any impact. Laeter, No. 4 batter Akram Mohammadzai got out for a golden duck.
At 33/3, Afghanistan desperately needed a big partnership. Jamshed Zadran then stitched together an 81-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Rahimullah Zurmati (35) to turn the tide towards his side.
Zadran continued his brilliance in the middle, forging a 97-run stand for the fifth wicket with keeper-batter Noman Shah (60). Zadran went on to score 106 runs off 152 balls with the aid of eight fours before retiring hurt.
Eventually, Afghanistan posted a total of 261 runs in 49.3 overs. Hemanta Dhami, Gulshan Kumar Jha, and Subash Bhandari scalped two wickets apiece for Nepal.
In reply, Nepal kept losing wickets with no batter giving proper assistance to the opener Arjun Kamal. He was the lone fighter in the chase, scoring 91 runs off 108 runs with 13 fours.
Afghanistan’s Faridoon Dawoodzai and Naseer Khan picked up three wickets each to bundle Nepal out for 188 runs in 40.1 overs, winning the game by 73 runs.
Delving into the details of the second game, after losing the toss, India were tasked to bat first. Opener Adarsh Singh (62) looked in good touch, finding four boundaries and one six during his knock. In the middle overs, captain Uday Pratap scored 60 crucial runs to keep up the momentum.
In the death overs, Sachin Dhas played a pivotal role, smacking 58 runs off 42 balls with the help of two fours and three sixes to propel the team's score to 259/9 in 50 overs. Medium pacer Mohammad Zeeshan was the wrecker-in-chief with a four-fer for Pakistan.
In response, Pakistan lost their opener Shamyl Hussain for eight. However, Shahzaib Khan (63) showed exemplary discipline, smacking four boundaries and three sixes to put the opposition on the back foot.
Azan Awais was the chief architect, racking up an unbeaten 105-run knock off 130 balls, featuring 10 fours. He received good support from captain Saad Baig, who scored 68* off 51 balls. The duo sealed the deal for their side in 47 overs.