DUBAI, Dec 19: Vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra’s exhilarating stroke-play was well complemented by Aaron George’s composure as India U-19 set up an U-19 Asia Cup summit date with arch-rivals Pakistan after crushing Sri Lanka colts by eight wickets in a rain-curtailed semi-final here on Friday.
After rain reduced the match to 20-overs per side, the Indian bowling unit, which has been spot on throughout the tournament, restricted Sri Lanka to 138 for 8 in 20 overs.
In reply, left-handed Malhotra (61 not out off 45 balls), who was snapped by RCB at the recently-concluded IPL mini auction, flicked and pulled with ease to hit a couple of sixes apart from muscling a few boundaries.
His partner and India’s crisis man in this event, George (58 not out off 49 balls), was technically perfect with his strokes as India chased down the target in 18 overs.
India’s eighth appearance in the final was built on the unbroken 114-run stand for the third wicket between Malhotra and George.
In the other semi-final, Pakistan beat Bangladesh by eight wickets, and the bitter neighbours will meet in the continental final after a gap of 11 years.
The last time India U-19 beat Pakistan in the Asia Cup final in 2014, the team comprised of Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Sanju Samson and Kuldeep Yadav, to name a few.
India U-19 had an inauspicious start to its chase with teenage IPL sensations Ayush Mhatre (7) and Vaibhav Suryavanshi (9) being done in by pacer Rasith Nimsara. Mhatre, who has endured a horrible tournament, was hurried into a mis-timed pull by a short ball from Nimsara.
Nimsara varied his pace for Suryavanshi, who tried to close the face of the bat but got a leading edge that ballooned.However, Malhotra started with a flicked six off Nimsara and there was no looking back. In the case of George, an imperious drive off off-spinner Kavija Gamage showed his class.Sri Lanka U19 were still giving a fight till the 13th over bowled by Dunith Sigera where Malhotra first played a short firm pull for a boundary, followed by a drive through extra cover and then another front-foot pull that landed on the grass banks.
Opting to field, India colts’ bowling unit did well to reduce Sri Lanka to 28 for 3 within the first six overs before skipper Vimath Dinsara (32) and Chamika Heenatigala (42) added 45 in the next six overs to stabilise the innings.
However, it was Sethmika Seneviratne’s cameo — a 22-ball-30 — that took Sri Lanka past the 135-run mark. For India, spinner Kanishk Chauhan and Henil Patel took two wickets apiece. (PTI)
