Mumbai, Nov 15 (IANS) India U-19 head coach Yere Goud credited months of hard work and the team’s ability to handle pressure situations after the side clinched a record-extending ninth Men’s U-19 Asia Cup title with a thrilling one-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the final.
Reflecting on the team’s triumph, Goud said the players had put in consistent effort over the past four to five months and had shown their potential in earlier assignments against Sri Lanka and Australia as well.
“I mean for four-five months we have been working hard and we had also played earlier against Sri Lanka and Australia, and there too the boys had done very well; we knew before entering this tournament that we would do well, and the boys did very well, whenever a pressure situation arose, they handled their pressure there and gave their performance,” Gould told IANS.
India edged the dramatic last-ball final to chase down a big target of 338 and win the match by one wicket against Pakistan at Al Amerat on Saturday. Mohit Ulva hit the winning four off the final ball.
Captain Lakshya Raichandani scored an unbeaten 80 off 101 balls while Aaryavir Sehwag scored an aggressive 58 off 61 balls with nine fours. This pair had added 95 runs for the first wicket. Manal Chauhan’s vital counter-attacking 47 (32 balls, three fours and three sixes) and a 57-run stand with Ulva steadied India’s ship.
While Ulva finished unbeaten on 49, Venkata was not out on 11 as they brought India closer to the target.
India experienced a difficult passage in the chase, losing wickets in clusters – first Raichandani and then Anvay Dravid (run out for 19) in the 37th over. But Ulva and the tail succeeded in getting across the line, thanks to steady heads at the bottom of the order, in the last over.
Previously, batting first Pakistan scored 337/9. Usman Khan made 107 off 111 balls, followed by Abdul Qadir with 80 runs off 54 balls, while captain Farhan Yousaf added 63.
Kavya Patel took four wickets for India to be the most successful bowler and Venkata claimed three.
Sehwag, who accumulated 361 runs in five matches was awarded the Player of the Tournament accolade. He managed to hit one century and three half-centuries during the tournament.
It was the ninth time that India had won the tournament which extended its record in the competition.
–IANS
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