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The Indian team booked their place in the final of the ongoing Under-19 World Cup in South Africa after overcoming early hurdles against hosts South Africa on Tuesday (2/06).
Riding on the excellent and reliable duo of captain Uday Saharan and Sachin Dhas, India defeated South Africa by two wickets to book their ticket to the summit clash. With the win, India are now on the brink of their sixth title while reaching the finals for a record ninth time in the junior division.
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Chasing 245 runs for victory, India got off to a poor start after losing Adarsh Singh (0) on the first ball of the innings. Things got worse in the fourth over when Musheer Khan (4) was dismissed to leave India’s situation vulnerable. All-rounder Arshin Kulkarni (12) and Priyanshu Moliya (5) soon followed the already departed pair to hurt India’s situation at 32/4, making the hosts favorites to reach the final.
However, a rescue act from the pair of Saharan and Dhas saw India claw their way back into the contest as they stitched a partnership of 171 runs for the fifth wicket.
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Earlier, South Africa were 244/5 with Lhuan-dre Pretorius (74) and Richard Seletswane (64) the top scorers. It was also the first time India had conceded 200 runs in the tournament.
India will now face either Australia or Pakistan in the final on Sunday as they look to add a sixth Under-19 World Cup title to their trophy cabinet.
