Let me take you back to 1986. India took on Pakistan at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the final of the Austral-Asia Cup. The home of white ball cricket hosted the eternal rivals on multiple occasions, but the sting from this game is still felt by Indian fans. Of course, I mean the moment Javed Miandad smashed Chetan Sharma’s intended full toss for a six on the final delivery where India needed just one wicket or had to prevent Pakistan from scoring four, alas neither happened and blue hearts were shattered. Miandad finished at an unbeaten 116, bringing the game back for Pakistan from the depths of nowhere at 215/7, ending India’s unbeaten run in the tournament.
Fast forward four decades, and Pakistan fans have their own moment to forget, that they surely won’t for a very long time. India pulled off a great escape for the ages in the final of the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup against Pakistan on Saturday, November 15 at Al-Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman, chasing down a mammoth 338 on the final delivery with just the one wicket in hand to end Pakistan’s unbeaten run at the tournament. The parallels are truly uncanny to the event 40 years ago. What makes the win even more unreal is the lack of a ‘Miandad’ like batter in the chase, as India completed the chase from 252/8 with no traditional batters to see through the finish.
Pakistan had beaten India earlier in the group stages, and came into the game in towering form, having beaten their arch rivals as well as Nepal, UAE and Bangladesh. They went to bat after winning the toss and cruised against the Indian bowling. The top order efforts of Usman Khan, Abdul Qadir and captain Farhan Yousaf guided Pakistan to 337/9, with Khan crossing a ton at 107 and Qadir and Yousaf picking up half-centuries.
India’s openers, captain Lakshya Raichandani, and Aaryavir Sehwag, yes, the son of that Virender Sehwag, opened the chase sluggishly against Pakistan experienced youth level pacers, Abdul Raza, Mohammad Sayyam and Rizwanullah. Sehwag showed his knack to fire against Pakistan, just like his father, crossing the half-century mark but then falling at 58. The upper middle order then wobbled for India, failing to score, and the boys in blue found themselves at only 186/4 in 33 overs.
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Anvay Dravid, of Rahul Dravid’s lineage looked to keep the fight going alongside his skipper but the two were dismissed in quick succession, Raichandani from a stunning catch and Dravid from a confusion run out. At 217/6, it seemed time to turn the TV off. But if you were one of the poor souls who did so, you missed pure magic. All-rounder Manal Chauhan played no holds barred as nothing was left to lose. His support kept dwindling on the side and India were at 252/8. Still, over by over, the daunting required rate kept reducing. Chauhan found unlikely support from his number 10, Mohit Ulva, traditionally a medium pacer. Ulva unleashed a diverse range of strokes to bring the game closer and closer.
A heart stopping moment occurred when Chauhan was dismissed on 47 with 29 runs still needed. But then came the tailender, Chigurupati Venkata, smashing two fours to take it to the final over. Eight to win, spinner Ahmed Husain took the challenge to see the game off for Pakistan, and did relatively well as India’s bottom two scrambled for runs when they could. Final ball, three to win, Ulva on strike, Husain went wide, and Ulva charged down to lift over covers, a stroke that would make Virat Kohli blush, scoring the boundary, flowing emotions out of the pot as India completed the unlikeliest of chases to win the U19 Asia Cup title.
Ulva for his heroics unsurprisingly won player of the match for his batting heroics, and Sehwag took home player of the series for top scoring with 361 runs, keeping his father’s legacy alive. This was India’s record ninth title in the competition, completing a result worthy of their world champion crown they secured just earlier this year. With the World Cup and now Asia Cup, and with talented prodigies such as Sehwag, Ulva and even Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has now graduated to senior level, the future of Indian cricket could not be in safer hands.
