Advantage India in U-19 World Cup clash with Pakistan

Joy Chakravarty 14:03 15/02/2014
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  • Encouraging start: The Dubai Cricket Stadium is hosting India's clash with Pakistan.

    Brilliant batting by Sarfaraz Khan and his record fifth wicket partnership with Sanju Samson gave India Under-19 the advantage at the halfway stage of their Group A ICC Cricket Under 19 World Cup match against arch-rivals Pakistan.

    A few lusty blows by Deepak Hooda towards the end helped India U19 reach 262-7, thus setting an asking rate of 5.26 for Pakistan.

    Judging by how the Dubai International Stadium pitch behaved on Friday when South Africa played the West Indies and the ball kept low and slow in the second innings of the match, it would require a huge effort from Pakistan U19 team to win from here on.

    The stocky Sarfaraz joined Samson with his team in trouble at 94-4 after 23 overs. But he scored a belligerent 74 in 78 balls, and added 119 runs for the fifth wicket.

    It was the highest individual score in India v Pakistan seven matches they have played in U19 World Cup. After a cautious start, Sarfaraz opened up and reached his fifty with a superb pulled six.

    He finally fell when he holed out a Irfanullah Shah delivery to Hassan Raza at long off. His 74 included five hits to the fence and a six.

    Samson, who played many a swashbuckling innings for Rajasthan Royals in last year’s Indian Premier League, was rather subdued, but the importance of his 68 in 101 balls cannot be denied. India started brilliantly with openers Ankush Bains and Akhil Herwadkar adding 65 runs in the first eight overs.

    But once Bains departed, bowled by Irfanullah Shah for 24, the runs dried up and the wickets kept falling at regular intervals.

    Herwadkar, trying to force the pace as Pakistan spinners applied the brakes, made 41 before he became one of leg-spinner Karamat Ali’s two quick victims.

    Irfanullah (2-32) and Karamat (2-37) were the two most successful bowlers for Pakistan.

    At the time of writing, Pakistan are 20/0 after five overs.

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