Dubai: Just a week after India and Pakistan met in U19 Asia Cup league stage, the arch rivals are set to face in the title clash at the ICC Academy Ground on Sunday. In their previous meeting, where India won by 90 runs, both teams refused to shake hands and the same is expected to happen in the final.
For India, who have won the U19 Asia Cup eight times, the final offers a chance to practice being in high-pressure scenarios ahead of next month’s Under-19 World Cup, while Pakistan will view it as another test of temperament ahead of the mega event in Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Despite Mhatre and Vaibhav Suryavanshi not firing consistently, India can draw solace from the fact that other batters Aaron George, Vihaan Malhotra, Vedant Trivedi and Abhigyan Kundu are amongst the runs. The batting is complemented by pacers Kishan Singh, and Deepesh Devendran, while being backed by spinners Khilan Patel and Kanishk Chouhan.
Pakistan, meanwhile, will rely on Sameer Minhas, the team’s highest run-getter with 299 runs in four matches, including a century and a half-century. In bowling, right-arm pacer Abdul Subhan has been the most successful bowler with 11 wickets from three matches, while left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Sayyam has claimed eight wickets so far.
Given the quality on both sides, another low-scoring contest cannot be ruled out, especially with rain likely to stay away. The final’s result may hinge on which batting group adapts better under pressure in a game that rarely fails to deliver drama. IANS
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