BAN Chokes As PAK Wins A Nail Biter Low Scoring Contest To Qualify To U-19 WC Semis
U-19 WC (X.com)
In an exhilarating contest of competitive cricket, the Pakistan U-19 team defeated Bangladesh to secure a thrilling five-run victory and subsequently set up a semi-final contest with Australia in the knockout stage of the ongoing U-19 World Cup.
With the semi-final berth on the line, Pakistan and Bangladesh squared off for the final league stage game of the U-19 World Cup tournament earlier today in South Africa.
Since India, South Africa, and Australia had already qualified, the final spot was up for grabs for both teams. Therefore, the Bangladeshi captain opted to field first after winning the toss.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh bowlers put up an exceptional show to restrict Pakistan to a lowly total of 150 runs. It looked like an easy chase at the mid-inning break until Bangladesh began to choke.
A couple of early wickets injected a sense of belief and self-confidence amongst the Pakistan bowling unit. They sensed an opening and hit the right line and length to force errors from the Bangladeshi batters.
After losing six wickets at 86 runs, Mohammad Shihab James and skipper Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby put together a 40-run partnership for the seventh wicket to regain control of the game.
However, Pakistan's star of the game and Naseem Shah's brother, Ubaid Shah, produced the much-needed breakthrough that broke the partnership with still 28 needed.
Later, for the final wicket, the tailenders put together a 23-run stand, but it still wasn't good enough as Mohammad Zeeshan cleaned up Maruf Mridha to seal a semi-final berth for Pakistan.
The game was all about who soaked in the pressure the best, and Pakistan ended up demolishing the Bangladesh lineup with fierce pace bowling. The thrilling contest was open until the final wicket as Pakistan sealed a victory with just a five-run margin.
With that, Pakistan will meet Australia in the U-19 World Cup semi-final, whereas the undefeated Indian side will clash with host South Africa.