India, Pakistan tie U-19 Asia Cup final

Tuesday, 3 July 2012 00:59 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

KUALA LUMPUR: India and Pakistan playing, opening batsmen on both sides scoring hundreds, a fiver, a last-ball finish and a tie — it’s unlikely you could pack more thrill into an U-19 match. It was the final of the U-19 Asia Cup at the Kinrara Oval in Kuala Lumpur, and the arch rivals split the honours.

Indian skipper and opener Unmukt Chand scored 121 (150b) to steer the team towards a win as they chased Pakistan’s 282. Chand added 175 runs for the second wicket with Baba Aparajith (90 off 86).

India needed just seven in the final over with Chand at the crease. They could manage just two off the first four balls with Chand falling to Ehsan Adil.

It put pace bowler Rush Kalaria on strike. Kalaria had earlier in the game taken 5-37. He slammed the penultimate ball through cover for four to tie the game leaving him a single to score off the final ball.

But Kalaria mistimed the final ball to mid-on to tie the game. Earlier, Pakistan had posted 282-9 with Sami Aslam’s 134 off just 124 balls. Aslam added 100 runs for the third wicket with Imam-ul-Haq (48).

At the start of the tournament, Aslam had scored another hundred (121) against India, setting up a one-run win. He and Imam had added 213 runs in that game. Vijay Zol had scored a hundred (109) for India.

Awards:

Men of the match: Unmukt Chand and Sami Aslam

Batsman of the Tournament: Sami Aslam

Bowler of the Tournament: Tharindu Kaushal (SL)

Statistics:

Most runs: Chand (286 runs, 3 innings, 2x100); Aslam (255 runs, 2 innings, 2x100)

Most wickets: Kalaria (9 wickets; 1x5w, 1x4w); Kaushal (5; 1x4w).