In the U19 Asia Cup semifinal, the UAE team pulled off an impressive 11-run win against Pakistan at the ICC Academy grounds last Friday.
Captain Aayan Afzal Khan emerged as the star for the hosts, scoring a crucial 55 runs off 57 balls to set a competitive target for UAE. He then led a strong bowling performance against Pakistan’s powerful batting lineup.
Advertisement
Pak U19 vs Ind U19: Pakistan secures victory over India by eight wickets
The pace duo of Obaid Rehman and Hardik Pai each secured two wickets, but it was Ayman Ahamed’s late two wickets that sealed the win for UAE.
Now, in the final match, UAE will clash with Bangladesh, who secured a narrow four-wicket win over world champions India in the other semifinal of the Asia Cup.
Pakistan, chasing 194 runs in this low-scoring affair, faced a setback in the 23rd over when Ammar Badami ended the partnership between skipper Saad Baig and Azan Awais. Baig’s fifty-run knock ended with a catch by Aryansh Sharma, leading to a collapse.
Harshit Pai’s fantastic delivery dismissed Riaz Ullah, followed by a run-out of Awais due to sharp fielding.
The disciplined UAE bowling, along with two more run-outs, pushed the Group A leaders to struggle at 121 for 7.
During their batting, UAE fought against Pakistan’s consistent bowling, losing wickets steadily.
Opener Aryansh Sharma battled for 46 runs while wickets fell at the other end. Aayan and Ethan D’Souza stabilized the innings, but Pakistan’s standout bowler, Ubaid Shah, claimed four wickets.
