India end young Proteas’ hopes of home World Cup final

Remarkable knocks from India captain Uday Saharan and Sachin Dhas ensured SA’s hopes of lifting the ICC U19 World Cup on home soil disappeared despite a late fight as they were beaten by two wickets in their semifinal at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Tuesday.

Saharan scored 81 runs off 124 balls as his side chased a target of 245 with seven balls left and booked their place in the final, where they will face either Australia or Pakistan on Sunday at the same ground.

India had the worst possible start as they lost opener Adarsh Singh for a golden duck off the bowling of SA superstar Kwena Maphaka. 

Tristan Luus put in a show and ripped through the Indian top order with ease. He accounted for the dismissal of India’s star batter in the tournament, Musheer Khan (4), Arshin Kulkarni (12) and Priyanshu Moliya (5), leaving the visitors reeling on 32/4 by the 12th over.

Saharan and Dhas added 175 runs for the fifth-wicket partnership, which resulted in the Proteas coaching staff patrolling the boundary in panic, dishing out advice for the bowlers as the Indians took control of the innings.

It was Maphaka who earned SA their fifth wicket by getting Dhas (96) to chip one towards the covers in the 43rd over, and then got Aravelly Avanish (10) in the next over.

Murugan Abhishek was run out for a duck, but that could not stop the defending champions from proceeding to the next round. They finished on 248/8 and Luus and Maphaka were the pick of the junior Proteas bowlers with three wickets each.

Earlier in the day, half centuries from opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Richard Seletswane lent a helping hand to the home side in reaching 244/7.

Pretorius notched 76 runs off 102 balls while Seletswane scored 64  off 100 after Saharan won the toss and opted to field first. It was the first time the Indians bowled first in the tournament. His decision proved to be on the money as Raj Limbani removed dangerous opener Steve Stolk for just 14 runs and struggling David Teeger for a second-ball duck. 

SA finished the first power play on 55/2, their lowest in the competition, but Seletswane and Pretorius picked up the pieces and rebuilt the innings with a 72-run third wicket stand to ease the pressure.

 With 20 overs to go and SA in need of gradual acceleration and the Indian spinners piling on the pressure, Pretorius fell to Khan. Oliver Whitehead tried to up the ante with some lusty blows but fell victim to Khan for 22 runs with 10  overs to go. 

Seletswane scored his maiden 50 of the tournament as Dewan Marais (3) had a short stay at the crease and left his side in a spot of bother on 174/5 after 42 overs.

With SA in desperate need of quick runs, captain Juan James combined with Seletswane for a quick-fire 40-run 25-ball partnership as SA became the first team to cross 200 against India in the tournament.

The momentum shifted to the home side, but Naman Tiwari and Limbani pulled through for India in the death overs, accounting for the wickets of James (24) and Seletswane.