Boys in Blue beat Afghanistan by 7 wickets, set up summit clash with England
Harare: Aaron George’s silken hundred seamlessly merged with the explosive fifties from IPL stars Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre, guiding India to the ICC U19 World Cup final with a seven-wicket win over Afghanistan here on Wednesday. India now face England in the summit clash here on Friday. It will be India’s 10th final in the U19 showpiece.
India seemed to have a tough task ahead once Afghanistan piled 310 for four, built around hundreds by Faisal Shinozada (110) and Uzairullah Niazal (101).
But India cantered past the target in 41.1 overs and it was also their highest-ever chase in the U19 World Cup. Aaron (115, 104b) led the chase with a hundred of impeccable pace and precision placements of his shots.
He received ample backing from Sooryavanshi (68, 33b) and Mhatre (62, 59b) as India kept their run-rate above seven all the while.
As is his vaunt, Sooryavanshi gave a flying start to India’s innings with a flurry of boundaries, mainly off off-spinner Wahidullah Zadran. Their opening stand of 93 laid the foundation, after which George took complete control of the chase.
George found an ideal partner in Mhatre, who rediscovered his rhythm at the perfect moment. Their 114-run alliance ensured India stayed comfortably ahead of the asking rate. Even after Mhatre’s dismissal, George remained unruffled, showcasing rare composure and classical strokeplay.
He reached his hundred in 95 balls and later added a decisive partnership with Vihan Malhotra as India cruised home with ease.
Earlier, Afghanistan rode centuries from Shinozada and Niazal to post an imposing total after opting to bat. While India managed occasional breakthroughs, Afghanistan’s batters capitalised on loose deliveries to maintain momentum through the middle overs. However, the total proved insufficient against a composed and record-breaking Indian chase.
