In a scintillating display of all-round prowess, Pakistan defeated India by a 191 runs to win the U-19 Asia Cup in Dubai.
Sensational opening batsman Sameer Minhas unleashed cascade of sixes and boundaries – 9 and 14 respectively – to set the stage for Pakistan’s victory with a mammoth 172 runs off 113 balls.
For India, the massive 347 runs looked an improbable chase as they crashed to 156 all out in just over 26 overs.
Sameer Minhas’s 172 is the highest individual score by a batter in the tournament’s history.
Indians lost five of their top batters inside powerplay, as Pakistan bowlers maintained their tight grip.
The Pakistan bowlers bundled out each of the rival teams in the championship within the stipulated overs.
Upon their return, the young Pakistanis received a heroic welcome.
Asim Tanveer is a seasoned journalist working for TV and electronic and print media outlets. He has been working for some of the world’s leading news organizations including Associated Press (AP), Reuters, BBC, CNN, CNBC, Star TV, Voice of America and The New York Times for more than 20 years. He has won several awards for his live coverage of events that include a Reuters News Agency World Award and the Pride of Performance award in 2010.
