India no longer play any form of cricket against their old foes Pakistan. Political tensions between the two countries have had a major impact on cricketing ties as the Indian government has closed the door to any talks about playing against Pakistan.
The only times these two sides get to play each other are during the ICC World Cup and India has always won their encounters against Pakistan in ICC World Cup tournaments.
India vs. Pakistan U19 Semi- Final
The U19 World Cup in South Africa is coming to a close as the first final between India and Pakistan took place on Feb 4 and India came out on top yet again. The U19 semi-final between the two sides took place in Potchefstroom and was a high pressured game for both sides not only because it was a World Cup semi-final but also because the two sides hate losing to each other – more than any other team.
The two teams had a number of talented young players who will most certainly make it to the international arena in a few years. On paper, India went in with an edge and it showed on the field as they were a lot more confident.
Early setbacks for Pakistan
Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first and the decision backfired on them as they lost quick wickets. S Mishra struck in his very first over and dismissed M Huraira for 4 and that immediately caused the other two batsman at the crease to go into their shell. The second wicket fell in the 8th over as R Bishnoi took F Munri to have Pakistan reeling at 34/2.
H Ali (56) and captain R Nazir (62) started to rebuild the innings and they did a good job. They took their time to lay a platform which meant it was vital for both or atleast one of them to remain at the crease and bat till the end. Ali got out and the captain struggled to play freely as he watched his side collapse in front of him.
The pick of the bowlers for India was S Mishra who picked up 3 wickets in his 8.1 overs and conceded just 28 runs. K Tyagi and R Bishnoi took two wickets each and all of them bowled very economically. The continuous loss of wickets and the slow scoring rate meant that Pakistan could only get to 172 which was always going to be hard to defend against a strong Indian batting line-up.
Openers Make Quick Work Of Pakistan
Pakistan knew exactly what they needed to do in order to put pressure on India and stand any chance of winning the game and making it to the final. They had to take early wickets and put pressure on India. The plan was clear but the bowlers could not execute as the Indian openers took the attack to the bowlers.
Y Jaiswal played the more dominant role and ended up scoring 105 from 113 balls while his opening partner D Saxena played second fiddle and scored 59 from 99 balls. Both the openers played with a key head and made sure they did not throw away their wickets and give Pakistan any chance of getting back into the game.
The two openers remained unbeaten and took India across the line in just 35.2 overs. Y Jaiswal received the man of the match award for his match winning century.
India Will Play Either Bangladesh or New Zealand
India will now have wait to see who wins the second U19 semi-final between Bangladesh and New Zealand. They will not have to wait long as the second semi-final takes place on 6 Feb in Potchefstroom. The Kiwis have a slight edge but one cannot count Bangladesh out!
