U19 Asia Cup Semi Final: In a thrilling encounter in Dubai, Bangladesh secured a four-wicket victory over India to advance to the final of the Under-19 Asia Cup on Friday. The match featured Ariful Islam’s impactful counter-punching fifty and a fiery bowling spell by left-arm pacer Maruf Mridha.
Facing a slightly two-paced pitch, the Indian batsmen struggled, ultimately getting bundled out for 188 in 42.4 overs. Musheer Khan (50) and Murugan Abhishek (62) were the main contributors to India’s total. Maruf Mridha played a pivotal role in India’s struggles, taking 4 for 41 with an impressive opening spell that reduced India to 13 for 3 within seven overs.
Despite the challenging total, Bangladesh successfully chased down the target in 42.5 overs with Ariful Islam leading the charge with a brilliant innings of 94 runs off 90 balls. Maruf’s early breakthroughs had set the tone for Bangladesh’s victory, but Ariful found valuable support from Ahrar Amin (44 off 101 balls), and together they built a resilient fourth-wicket partnership of 138 runs.
Ariful initially played cautiously but later showcased his attacking prowess, denying the Indian bowlers for an extended period. Although Bangladesh faced some hiccups towards the end, the target was achieved with relative comfort.
UAE beat Pakistan to make the U19 Asia Cup final
In the first semi-final, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) caused an upset by defeating the favored Pakistan by 11 runs, earning a spot in the final against Bangladesh. UAE posted a total of 193 all out, driven by captain Aayan Afzal Khan’s 55 off 57 balls and opener Aryansh Sharma’s 46 off 70 balls. Defending the target determinedly, UAE bowled out Pakistan for 182 all out with three balls to spare, setting the stage for an exciting final showdown between UAE and Bangladesh in the Under-19 Asia Cup.
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