Bangladesh U-19 team advanced to the final of the U-19 Asia Cup after defeating Pakistan by seven wickets in the first semi-final on Friday.
This emphatic win sets up a final showdown with India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
After putting Pakistan into bat, Bangladesh bowled brilliantly to bowl out the opposition for just 116. Iqbal Hossain Emon took 4 wickets for 24 runs, and Maruf Mridha supported well with two wickets. Farhan Yousaf was the top scorer for Pakistan with 32 runs.
Bangladesh bowlers made light work of the modest total and chased it down in just 23 overs.
Pakistan made early inroads by removing both openers within the first eight overs. Kalam Siddiki Aleen was dismissed for a duck in the seventh over, caught by Farhan Yousaf off Ali Raza’s delivery. Zawad Abrar followed, scoring 17 runs off 25 balls before being caught by Usman Khan.
The third wicket fell in the 17th over when Naveed Ahmad Khan sent Mohammad Shihab James back for 26 runs. After that, there were no further breakthroughs, and Bangladesh easily chased down the target.
Captain Azizul Hakim played a key role in the chase, scoring 57 runs off 41 balls, including six fours and three sixes. Hakim hit the winning four in the 21st over, guiding Bangladesh to 120 runs with 167 balls to spare.
In the second semi-final earlier in the day, India comfortably defeated Sri Lanka at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Sri Lanka, batting first, was bowled out for 173 runs in 46 overs. India chased the total with ease in just 21.4 overs.
Pakistan had been undefeated in the tournament before the semi-final. They had won all their group matches, including a 43-run victory over India, a 69-run win against the UAE, and a crushing 180-run triumph over Japan.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.