India, Pakistan eye semis after big wins in U19 World Cup

India crushed Zimbabwe by 204 runs and Pakistan beat New Zealand by eight wickets to stay in contention for U19 World Cup semi-finals. Vihaan Malhotra hit a century, while Sameer Minhas starred with an unbeaten 76. India and Pakistan meet Sunday

Bulawayo: India moved to the top of the Group 2 points table with a convincing win over Zimbabwe in the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup. Pakistan also took a step towards the semifinals with a solid win over New Zealand. The Group 2 standings after the recent fixtures have set up an enticing contest between India and Pakistan on Sunday.

Pakistan proved they are a force to be reckoned with at the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup with a comprehensive eight-wicket win over New Zealand.

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In a dominant all-round display, Pakistan chased down a modest target of 111 inside 17.1 overs. The big win kept them in the hunt for a semi-final spot. Though currently third in the standings behind England and India, they have a healthy net run rate of +1.484, which may prove crucial if there’s a logjam at the top.

Electing to field first, Pakistan pacers made the most of the seaming conditions at Harare Sports Club. Ali Raza trapped Marco Alpe leg before to start the slide. Raza claimed three wickets for 36 runs in seven overs, while Abdul Subhan produced a match-winning spell of 4/11 from 6.3 overs.

For New Zealand, opener Hugo Bogue top-scored with a quickfire 36, including six fours and two sixes. But the Pakistan attack ensured the Black Caps never built partnerships.

In the chase, rising star Sameer Minhas led the way with his second straight half-century, scoring an unbeaten 76. He finished the match with an emphatic six down the ground.

India, meanwhile, rode on a splendid century from Vihaan Malhotra to register a massive 204-run victory over Zimbabwe and reclaim top spot in Group 2.

Asked to bat first, Indian openers Aaron George and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stitched a 44-run stand. Sooryavanshi went on to score a half-century. Malhotra and Abhigyan Kundu then steadied the innings, with Malhotra firing India’s first century of the tournament and Kundu adding 61 off 62 balls. Khilan A Patel’s 12-ball 30 provided late fireworks as India posted 352/8 in 50 overs.

Zimbabwe’s chase faltered early as Nathaniel Hlabangana, Dhruv Patel and Brendon Senzere fell cheaply. Kian Blignaut and Leeroy Chiwaula tried to rebuild, with Chiwaula scoring a fighting half-century. But Ayush Mhatre and Udhav Mohan picked three wickets each to bowl Zimbabwe out for 148.

The victory means only three teams from Group 2 — India, England and Pakistan — remain in contention for semi-final spots, with Sunday’s India-Pakistan clash set to have a huge bearing.