"Sachin standing tall in a World Cup Semi-Final. We have seen before"- Fans react after Sachin Dhas's majestic 96 helps India reach final of U19 WC
Indian Under-19 team middle-order batter Sachin Dhas displayed exceptional character and composure to bail out his side with a magnificent 96-run knock in a tricky chase in the semi-final of the Under-19 World Cup against South Africa on Tuesday (February 6).
Dhas' splendid batting performance earned him plaudits from fans and cricket pundits on social media platforms.
South Africa batted first in the match after losing the toss and managed to reach 244/7 in 50 overs. Lhuan-dre Pretorius (76) and Richard Seletswane (64) hit half-centuries and starred for them in the batting department. Raj Limbani took three wickets for India with the ball.
In response, the Indian Under-19 side's top order collapsed like a pack of cards, which prompted the fans to draw parallels with the senior team. Sachin Dhas joined hands with skipper Uday Saharan when the team were reeling under pressure at 32/4 after 11.2 overs.
Uday played watchfully and took on the anchor role, while Sachin kept the scoreboard ticking by playing with positive intent. He played one of the most memorable knocks in the history of the tournament and paved the way for his side's victory.
En route to 96 (95), Dhas hit 11 fours and a six before getting out 43rd over, with 42 runs needed for victory. India went on to win the game in the 49th over by two wickets.
Fans were elated after witnessing the wonderful knock from Sachin Dhas in pressure conditions in a knock-out game. They heaped praise on him through their reactions on X.
The official account of IPL franchise Punjab Kings referenced Sachin Tendulkar's match-winning 85-run knock in the 2011 ODI World Cup semi-final against Pakistan. They wrote:
"Sachin standing tall in a World Cup Semi-Final. We have seen this before."
Here are some of the posts:
"We finally got a game where it was close"- India Under-19 side captain Uday Saharan after a hard-fought win against South Africa
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Indian Under-19 skipper Uday Saharan opened up that they got challenged for the first time in the tournament in the semi-final. He felt it was a good workout for them ahead of an important summit clash. Reflecting on the victory, he said:
"Right at the end, I wanted to stay there till the end. It was not the best way for me to finish the game. That is why the emotions came out. I kept saying to Sachin and all other batters who followed that if we keep standing and batting at the crease, we will keep scoring runs. The dug-out and the coaching management never lets any negative emotions creep in."
Saharan added:
"It is an amazing atmosphere and we have got an amazing bunch of players, supremely talented. We finally got a game where it was close. It is good practice for us, it tells us how we can respond under pressure situations and particularly pleased on how we have batted well on a day when not much went our way."
Australia and Pakistan will face off in the second semifinal on Thursday, February 8. The winner of that match will lock horns with India in the final on February 11.