U19 Asia Cup: India beat Afghanistan by eight wickets, face Pakistan in Saturday's final

The slide was sharp. Afghanistan went from 143 for 3 to 146 for 6 within a few overs, and only Sohail Khan's unbeaten innings took them past 220. Their last five wickets added 84 runs, and the score still left India a required rate of under five an over.

Ishan Sood was the leading bowler with 3 for 43, taking wickets with the new ball and again at the end. Kavya Paresh Patel, Yashvardhan Chauhan and Arjun Rajput took one wicket each, which accounts for all eight Afghan wickets. One early report put Afghanistan's total at 228, but the target of 228 and the other match accounts agree on 227 for 8.

The chase

India's openers settled the game. Raichandani and Aaryavir Sehwag added 117 for the first wicket in under 17 overs. Sehwag made 51 from 57 balls, with four fours and four sixes, before he was dismissed by Noor Ali Niazi. Raichandani then reached 93 from 90 balls, with 13 fours and a six, and fell seven runs short of a century. One early summary called his innings unbeaten, but the score of 230 for 2 and the dismissal of both openers show that he was out.

Vineeth, who came in with the match under control, scored 57 not out from 62 balls and hit the winning six off Niazi in the 37th over. Yashvardhan Chauhan was 16 not out at the other end. The Afghan bowlers had little to show for their effort, with Sohail Khan taking 1 for 56 and Niazi 1 for 58. India needed only 36.5 of the 50 overs, so the margin was 79 balls.

The target of 228 needed about 4.6 runs an over, and India scored at about 6.2, reaching 230 for 2 in 36.5 overs. The opening stand of 117 came in under 17 overs, at more than seven an over, which put the match out of Afghanistan's reach before the middle overs. Raichandani's 93 came from 90 balls and Vineeth's 57 from 62, so both scored at close to a run a ball, and Raichandani's 13 fours and one six made up 58 of his runs.

The final against Pakistan

India reach the final as eight-time champions, and this is their 11th appearance in a final of the tournament. Their only defeat of the competition came against Pakistan in the group stage, when Pakistan chased 208 for a three-wicket win, helped by a century from Hamza Zahoor. Arjun Rajput had made 107 for India in that match. The final will therefore be a rematch in which India are seeking to avenge that loss.

The two teams have met in the final before. The 2012 final was tied, and the title was shared. India won in 2013-14 by 40 runs in Sharjah, and last year Pakistan won in Dubai by 191 runs, a heavy defeat that Indian supporters will remember. Saturday's match will be the fourth final between the sides. The reports available do not give the venue or the start time for the final, so they should be checked on the Asian Cricket Council's fixture page before match day.

For India, the semi-final answered the main question from the group stage, which was whether the top order could make a big total without relying on one batter. Raichandani and Sehwag gave the side a start of 117, and Vineeth finished the job. The bowling had a good day too, with five bowlers sharing wickets. Against Pakistan, a side with a century-maker from the earlier meeting, India will look to repeat that balance. Pakistan's route to the final is not covered in the reports available for this article.