U19 Asia Cup: Hamza Zahoor’s Unbeaten Hundred Trumps Arjun Rajput’s 107 as Pakistan Beat India by 3 Wickets
Pakistan recovered from 61/5 to chase 209 at Al Amerat, Oman, and moved to the top of Group A. India stay second with two points.
Pakistan edged India by three wickets in a tense Group A match of the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup at Al Amerat, Oman, on Sunday, 8 November, with wicketkeeper-batter Hamza Zahoor finishing unbeaten on 100 to see off India’s 208.
Rajput rescues India after a collapse
India chose to bat but were in trouble almost immediately. Captain Lakshya Raichandani fell for a duck, and Aaryavir Sehwag (22), VK Vineeth and Yashbardhan Chauhan followed quickly, leaving India 42 for four.
Middle-order batter Arjun Rajput then took charge with a counter-attacking 107. He put on 44 with wicketkeeper Anvay Dravid (10) and 64 with Manal Chauhan (11), doing most of the scoring in both stands. When Rajput fell in the 36th over, India were 170 for seven, and they soon slid to 195 for nine. Kavya Patel (23) and No. 11 Ishan Sood (2 not out) nudged the total to 208 in 46.3 overs.
Pakistan’s medium pacers Ali Raza (3/37) and Rizwanullah (3/24) did the early damage, left-arm spinner Niqab Shafiq added 3/42, and Mohammad Sayyam (1/27) took the last wicket.
Zahoor turns the chase around
India’s spinners hit back hard. Left-arm spinner Manal Chauhan struck twice in the 13th and 15th overs, and Pakistan were 61 for five. Zahoor and Hasnain Abbas Dar (38) then added 107 for the sixth wicket, playing patiently and picking off boundaries, including deft late cuts off the spinners.
Dar’s dismissal at 168 left Pakistan needing 41 more, but Zahoor stayed to the end. He sealed the match with a cover-driven four off Kavya Patel that also brought up his century, with Pakistan reaching 209 for seven in 48.1 overs.
After the game Zahoor said he had wanted to stay till the end because he knew he could win the match for his country.
Group A standings
The win took Pakistan to the top of Group A with four points from two games. India, who had beaten Nepal by 10 wickets in their opener, are second with two points from two matches.
Featured image: Cricket ball and wicket at Takeley Cricket Club ground, Essex, England 02.jpg by Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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