India are the Under-19 Asia champions again. On Saturday, the young team beat Pakistan by one wicket in a final that was not decided until the very last ball. Pakistan scored 337 for 9 in their 50 overs. India replied with 339 for 9, and one boundary from Mohit Ulva won them the title for the ninth time.
India Fight Back With the Ball After Usman Khan’s Big Hundred
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first, and they made a flying start. Usman Khan played the star role with 107 runs off 111 balls, including 11 fours and 3 sixes. It was his second century of the tournament. Abdul Qadir backed him up with a fast 80 off just 54 balls, hitting 8 sixes along the way. Together, the two batters added 135 runs and put India under real pressure.
India did not give up. Kavya Patel took 4 wickets, including the big one of Usman Khan, and Chigurupati Venkata took 3. Pakistan captain Farhan Yousaf scored a useful 63, but the wickets kept falling late in the innings. Pakistan lost two wickets in the final over and added only seven runs, which kept their total at 337.
India Chase Down 338 With a Four on the Last Ball
India’s batters began the chase in style. Captain Lakshya Raichandani and Aaryavir Sehwag shared a 95-run opening stand. Sehwag made 58 with nine fours, his fourth fifty of the tournament. Raichandani scored 80, his third fifty of the event.
Then the team hit a shaky patch. Raichandani and Anvay Dravid both fell in the same over, and the crowd could feel the match slipping away. Manal Chauhan changed the mood with a quick 47 off 32 balls, including two sixes in a single over. His partnership with Ulva took India past 300 and kept their dream alive.
The final over was pure nerve. India needed 8 runs to win. Venkata took a single off the fifth ball, so everything came down to one delivery. Ulva stayed calm and sent the ball over long-off for four. He finished unbeaten on 49 off 26 balls.
After the winning shot, Ulva ran across the field with the tricolour wrapped around him. His teammates rushed onto the ground and hugged him tightly. For a young team facing their biggest rivals in a final, it was a moment they will remember for a very long time.
