Published: Dec 20, 2016, 10:12 PM (IST)
Edited: Dec 20, 2016, 10:12 PM (IST)
India compete a 106-run win over Afghanistan in the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup 2016 semi-final at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo to qualify for the final. Afghanistan just managed to score 217 for 7 in their 50 overs in reply to India’s 294. Himanshu Rana top-scored for India with a superb 130. India will now play the winner of the second semi-final between Bangladesh and hosts Sri Lanka in the final on December 23. Afghanistan never really got going and lost wickets at regular intervals. Moreover, they scored at an agonisingly slow pace and never looked to win this game at any point. However, there were a couple of good performances with the bat.
Nisar Wahdat scored a gritty fifty and was well supported by Ibrahim Zadran, who scored 33. The Indian bowlers kept things tight and never let go of their grip. Afghanistan were reduced to 46 for 4 in the 13th over of their innings, but Zadran and Wahdat added 37 for the fifth wicket, but at a crawling pace as they took more than 15 overs to get there. Their partnership killed the game for Afghanistan as the required run-rate went well above their grasp. However, Wahdat and the next batsman Shamsurrahman Wali Khail kept batting, but there was never a situation where the batsmen showed urgency. Wahdat started to play some shots in the latter stages of his innings, but it was too little too late. He was finally dismissed for 86-ball 75. Shamsurrahman however fell one run short of his fifty. He and Wahdat had put on 94 for the sixth wicket, but it was just not enough.
Full Cricket Updates, India U19 vs Afghanistan U19, ACC U19 Asia Cup, 1st semi-final at Colombo
Earlier, Rana had scored a magnificent 130 to help India post 294 on the board. India initially would have been disappointed as they were looking to get a score in excess of 320. But some excellent bowling in the death ensured that India fell short of 300 and were bowled out with five deliveries to spare. Afghanistan’s fightback was led by their captain Naveen-ul-Haq, who finished with figures of 5 for 80 in his 10 overs. Earlier, it was India, who won the toss and elected to bat first. India are the defending champions and eye to retain the trophy after beating the winner of the Bangladesh and Sri Lanka semi-final on Friday.
Breif Scores:
India U-19 294 in 49.1 overs (Himanshu Rana 130, Shubman Gill 45, Abhishek Sharma 1 for 46; Naveen-ul-Haq 5 for 80, Wafadar 1 for 48, Mujeeb 2 for 45, Shamsurrahman Wali Khail 1 for 46) beat Afghanistan U-19 217 for 7 in 50 overs (Nisar Wahdat 75, Shamsurrahman Wali Khail 49; Kamlesh Nagarkoti 2 for 41, Rahul Chahar 2 for 33 ) by 77 runs.
