India Under-19 (Photo/BCCI)
Mohit Ulva! Remember the name! When India needed a miracle, when the Pakistan team could almost touch the trophy and when the Under-19 Asia Cup final seemed to be slipping away, the young allrounder produced an innings that will be remembered for a long, long time.India were staring at defeat at 252/8 in the 42nd over, chasing a daunting 338 against Pakistan at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground on Saturday. But Ulva had other ideas. What followed was an extraordinary display of nerve, power and belief as India pulled off a sensational last-ball, one-wicket victory to lift the title.At the heart of India’s remarkable escape was the unlikely alliance between No. 7 Manal Chauhan and No. 10 Ulva. With 87 runs required from the last 51 deliveries, the pair refused to surrender. They took the attack to the Pakistan bowlers, who had been disciplined for much of the innings but began to lose their bearings under pressure. Chauhan was magnificent in his counter-attacking 47 off 32. He brought an urgency to India’s chase, giving Ulva the perfect partner in a partnership worth 57 off just 5.5 overs. Their stand transformed the contest, dragging India back from the brink. But an India-Pakistan game cannot be without its fair share of twists and turns. Pakistan struck with Chauhan’s wicket in the 48th over, leaving India needing 29 off 16.Enter Chiragupati Venakata. Playing his first match of the tournament, the No. 11 showed remarkable composure to stand his ground alongside Ulva. There was no panic, no attempt to play beyond his limitations. He simply gave his partner the support he needed while Ulva continued to believe that the impossible was possible.The final two overs brought the kind of drama that makes India-Pakistan encounters special. India needed 25 off 12 and Ulva managed to keep the chase alive, smashing Mohammad Sayyam for 17 runs. With eight required off the final over, Ulva held his nerve and found the boundary when it mattered the most, finishing the job with a lofted shot off the final delivery.It was the highest successful chase in Youth ODI history. Ulva was deservedly named Player of the Match.Brief scores: India 339/9 (Rachandani 80, Sehwag 58; Rizwanullah 3-53) beat Pakistan 337/9 (Usman 107, Qadir 80; Kavya 4-68) by 1 wicket.