BREAKING: India reach ninth U-19 World Cup final, beat hosts South Africa by 2 wickets in semis

India have beaten the hosts South Africa by 2 wickets and have advanced to the record 9th ICC Under-19 World Cup final. The clouds of trouble were looming over India in the semi-final when the team lost four wickets early while chasing 245, but the hefty partnership between Uday Saharan and Sachin Dhas not only got India out of trouble but directed it towards victory. India will await the winner of, Australia vs Pakistan, the second semi-final match. The ICC U-19 World Cup 2024 final will take place on Sunday, February 11.

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ICC U-19 World Cup Semi Final: India beat South Africa on the back of enormous stand between Saharan and Dhas

Chasing 245, India lost Adarsh Singh on the first ball of their innings. The trouble intensified as Arshin Kulkarni (12), Musheer Khan (4), and Priyanshu Moliya departed in a quick session as well. Team India was reeling at 32/4, and a major collapse was hovering. However, Saharan and Dhas steadied the ship by cautiously dealing in singles first and after getting their eye in they started playing their shots and put the side back on its feat. The two constructed an enormous 171-run stand to take South Africa out of contention. Sachin Dhas (96) missed out on a well-deserved 100, but Sharan continued his gritty knock and took India almost past the finishing line. The skipper went at 81, when just 1 run was needed. The winning run came from the bat of Raj Limbani, who played a crucial cameo of 13.

Earlier, South Africa put on 244 on the board at the loss of 7 wickets. Lhuan-dre Pretorius (76) and Richard Seletswane (64) did the majority of the scoring for South Africa to reach the 244-run mark. From the bowling department, Raj Limbani was the pick of the bowlers from the Indian line-up. He snared away with three dismissals. From SA, no guesses, it was the fearsome pacer Kwena Maphaka who turned out to be the biggest challenge for India.