U-19 Asia Cup: India thrash Afghanistan by eight wickets to set up blockbuster final against arch-rivals Pakistan

India defeated Afghanistan by eight wickets to reach the U-19 Asia Cup final against Pakistan.

The Indian Under-19 team has booked a berth in the final of the ongoing U-19 Asia Cup. They defeated Afghanistan by eight wickets to set up their summit clash against Pakistan on Saturday, November 14. The Indian captain, Lakshay Raichandani, led the batting effort, while Ishan Sood laid the foundation for the convincing win with the ball. Earlier in the day, Pakistan steamrolled Bangladesh by nine wickets to become the other finalists.

Lakshay Raichandani scored 93 against Afghanistan in the semifinal. (BCCI)

Disciplined bowling effort

Raichandani would have been happy with how his bowlers started after Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first. The Indian seamers kept the scoring rate under control and picked up early wickets to put the team in the driver's seat.

Noman Salarzai arrived at the crease when Afghanistan were 51/2 after 12.5 overs. From there, he started building partnerships and propelling the innings forward. He scored 51 runs while stabilising the innings alongside Shubhan Ali and then Shah Rahimi. Salarzai was dismissed by Arjun Rajput when Afghanistan were on 143 in the 36th over of the innings.

After his departure, Afghanistan lost two more wickets while adding just seven runs. The phase sapped the momentum from the innings. Rahimi (51 off 72) stayed there and tried to repair the damage, but Afghanistan were never able to push towards a total that would put the Indian batting under pressure.

Afghanistan finished their innings at 227/8 in 50 overs. Ishan Sood was the standout among the Indian bowlers. He ended the innings with 3/43 in nine overs. Aryan Savsani also delivered an impressive performance, picking up two wickets for 29 runs in his seven overs.

Lakshay, Aryavir dominate

The Indian skipper and Aryavir Sehwag gave India the ideal start in what could have been a tricky chase. Both Raichandani and Sehwag negotiated the initial phase before shifting gears. They dominated the Afghan bowling and never allowed them a window of opportunity to get back into the match. The duo stitched together a partnership of 117 runs and effectively took the game away from Afghanistan.

Noor Niazi picked up the first wicket in the form of Aryavir Sehwag, who scored 51 off 57 before walking back. Raichandani's resolve was not shaken by the wicket, and he extended his innings further. However, the Indian skipper fell short of a century as he became the second Indian wicket to fall on a personal score of 93 (90).

VK Vineeth and Yashbadhan Singh Chauhan ensured that India did not suffer any further slip-ups after their captain's fall. Vineeth brought up the win in style with a maximum. He also completed his half-century and remained unbeaten at 57 off 62 balls. India won with eight wickets in hand and about 79 balls remaining in the game.

India will now look to avenge their group-stage defeat against their arch-rivals, Pakistan. The stage is set for one of the biggest rivalries to unfold in the final of the U-19 Asia Cup.